


The Spirit Returns

by MysteryGirl22



Category: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi | Spirited Away
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-12 06:05:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 40,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2098425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteryGirl22/pseuds/MysteryGirl22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chihiro Ogino is nineteen, living on her own when she meets Haku again. Though she is overjoyed, she soon learns the spirit world is in trouble, and that it might be all their fault. Will she be able to overcome this hurdle, or is this second trip between worlds destined to be her last?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dragon Dreams

"Whatever you do, don't look back," Haku said. "Not until you reach the other side of the tunnel."  


"Will I ever see you again?" I asked.  


"Don't worry," he smiled. "I'll find a way to see you."  


"Promise?"  


I felt tears well in my eyes, then his hand slid across my cheek. I knew he was telling the truth. His grip tightened on my hands, his face coming closer to mine.  


"Of course I do," he said gently. I don't know how long we stood there, gazing in each other's eyes. His were as green as the Kohaku River. I barely noticed when his lips touched mine. He pulled away a second later, once again serious.  


"Go now, and remember; don't look back until you reach the other side of the tunnel. Understand?"  


I nodded, wrapping my arms around him.  


"I'll miss you, Haku," I whispered.  


“I'll miss you, too.”  


His hands slipped to my back. I took a deep breath, smelling the river and remembering that frightening day. It had been so long ago that we first met and now I was leaving him for the second time. I hoped with all my heart that I’d get to see him a third. He pulled away slightly, though I was still in his arms.  


“I'll always be with you, Chihiro,” he said softly. His lips fell back on mine and I found I didn't really want to leave.  


“I don't want to go,” I murmured.  


“You have to,” his voice almost cracked. “But I promise we'll see each other again, when the moment is right.”  


He let me go and I felt the wind push me away. I looked at him a moment longer, then turned and went quickly down the steps. I ran because I feared I’d look back if I went too slowly. I soon found myself at the tunnel, where my parents were waiting.  


“Chihiro,” my mother cried. “Where have you been?”  


“Sorry, mom,” I called back, and dashed down the hill. There was no sign on either of my parents that they’d been turned into pigs. I knew somehow they didn't remember a thing.  


“Where have you been?” my mother repeated.  


“Just looking around,” I lied, shrugging.  


“Well, come on, we're going to be late.”  


She and my father vanished into the tunnel, but I stayed behind. I wanted to look back, to see Haku's smiling face one last time. Then I remembered what he’d told me. I shook my head, feeling fresh tears in my eyes. I hoped I would remember this, my time in the spirit world and what it had taught me. I wiped my eyes and raced to catch up with my parents, leaving the beauty of his land behind, returning to the human world.  


I slowed to a walk, gripping my mother's arm. I didn’t pay attention to what she said. The taste of river salt was on my lips and I still felt Haku's arms around me. Something about it felt like a dream, but it couldn't have been. Could it? I blinked myself back to reality. I slid my hand in my pocket, feeling my fingers close around something hard. I drew it out, amazed by what I saw.  


It was a stone, silvery blue-green, though it seemed to change as I looked at it from all sides. It was round, perfectly smooth, the size of my palm. A river stone. I clutched it tightly, holding it close to my heart. I turned it over, and saw that there was something engraved on the bottom. “The Kohaku River”. I smiled, looking up as we reached the other side of the tunnel.  


The plants were overgrown. Our car was covered in leaves and dust, as if it had been there for a long time. It had seemed like only a few days; had it really been months? I decided not to think about it as I climbed in, clutching the silver stone and thinking about Haku. I looked back, seeing nothing. The car started and soon we were driving away, my parents chatting on about our new house like nothing had happened. I thought about what else he had told me.  


 _We'll see each other again, when the moment is right._ What had he meant? My eyes began to feel heavy, and I looked up at the sky. It was full of soft clouds and I could’ve sworn that I saw his face, smiling beautifully. I smiled back, letting my eyes fall shut. I slept, dreaming of rivers and crystal-white dragons.


	2. Meeting once More

It's been about eight years since my trip to the spirit world, and I still can’t stop thinking about it. My memories of that place are crystal-clear, yet still so confusing. I looked out the window of my bedroom, twirling a pencil between my fingers. A hand slipped to my throat. Resting on a thin silver chain was a small pendent, engraved with “Haku”. I'd had a smaller copy of the river stone made, with only his name written on it. I never took it off, even when I slept, the real stone resting in a small shrine in my garden. 

I was living on my own now, in a house I had asked to be built very near the entrance of the spirit world, so I’d be nearby whenever he decided to come. I placed my pen on my desk and shut my workbook. I had to get outside, before I went nuts. I raced down the steps, soon feeling the crunch of grass beneath my bare feet. I loved my garden; it was the only thing in this world that kept me sane. I had filled it with the plants I'd seen in the bathhouse garden, and it almost felt like I was still there. I walked along the path until I came to the shrine, glittering like the ocean in the afternoon light. 

The river stone was on the highest point, gleaming like a crown jewel. I bent down and kissed it lightly, taking in the salty-sweet smell. It still felt as though he were right by my side, holding me in his warm embrace, resting his soft lips on mine. I sat down in the grass, letting my feet trail in the river that flowed behind my house. I called it Atarashii Kohaku, or New Kohaku. I could sit here for hours, daydreaming of the spirit world, wondering what all my friends were doing, how they were getting along. Noface, Granny, Lin, Kamajii, everyone; I missed them all so much. I still wore the hair band Noface, Yu-Bird, and Boh had made; it made me feel closer to them. 

I coaxed it from my hair, watching it shine and glimmer in the sun. My hair blew against my neck, tickling me and getting in my eyes. Carefully, I pulled the band onto my wrist, seeing the reflection of a shadow fall over me. Gasping, I turned, wide-eyed, toward the stranger. He had black hair that fell to his shoulders, and piercing green eyes. I felt as though I’d seen him before, but couldn't place where. He smiled, though he seemed tired. 

“Hello, I'm sorry to bother you,” his voice was smooth as the river. “But I have traveled a long way, and I was wondering if you could spare a bit of food.” 

“Oh, of course,” I got to my feet. I couldn't take my eyes away from his face as I rose, still being hit by the feeling that I knew him. But who was he? “Just a minute.” 

I went to the kitchen. I placed some dumplings and rice cakes on a tray, nothing fancy, along with some tea. I still felt like I should’ve recognized him, but I just didn't. Not letting it bother me, I picked up the tray and went back to the yard. I wasn't at all prepared for what I saw. 

His back was toward me, and he seemed to be holding something in his hands. I came closer, placing the tray on a flat rock, a hand going up to touch the pendent at my throat. A faint smell began to drift through the air; one I'd never thought I'd smell again. Another step forward, and I was practically on top of him. I knelt down, finally able to see what he was doing. His eyes were closed, his mouth set in a straight line. In his hands was a white orb, giving off a soft light. His hair and clothes blew slightly in the wind, his face tilted upward. He looked so peaceful; I didn't want to disturb him. I settled down quietly beside him, trying to focus on the sphere. At first, nothing seemed to be happening, but then I began to feel a bit strange. 

My vision blurred, I got light-headed, and I started to black out. It felt like I was falling, then he caught me. I felt safe in his arms, as I took deep breaths to steady myself. Again, I smelled that salty-sweet scent of a river. In a moment or two, I opened my eyes, saw him stare down at me. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, concerned. 

“Yeah, I think so,” I murmured. I tried to sit up, immediately falling back. Stars clouded my vision, and I felt unconsciousness start to overcome me. Before it could, his hand touched my forehead, and a strange whispering flowed from his lips. When he was finished, I was able to open my eyes and sit up. I stared at him, transfixed. What had he done? As if reading my mind, he reached out, placing a hand on my throat and lifting up my pendent. 

“This should help,” he said, and smiled. 

I took it from him, our hands touching briefly in the act, and brought the stone up to my eyes. 

“Haku,” I whispered. 

“That's right, Chihiro,” he said. “It's me.” 

My eyes widened, and a gasp slipped from my mouth. 

“Haku!” 

I threw myself back in his arms, burying my face in his chest, tears of joy flooding my eyes. His heart echoed loudly in my ears, and I knew he was as glad to see me as I was him. We stayed like that for a long time, holding each other and basking in the sunlight. 

“I was starting to think I'd never see you again,” I said. “What took you so long to keep your promise?” 

“Some things have come up.” 

His voice had a double edge, as if he were hiding something. 

“What things?” I lifted an eyebrow. The laughter was suddenly gone from his face, and he looked as cold as he had the first time I'd seen him in the spirit world. 

“Did I say something wrong?” 

He shook his head, groaning slightly as if he'd been asleep. 

“No, sorry,” he said. “It's just something I'd rather keep to myself.” 

He whispered something under his breath, but I couldn't quite catch it. I watched silently as he trailed his hand in the water, his eyes looking grey and intense. His fingers formed strange patterns in the river's surface, and I began to feel faint again. My head swirled, my vision starting to cloud. I felt myself falling, heard Haku's voice calling my name, echoing as if from a great distance. I didn't know how long had passed before I felt myself drift back into consciousness.


	3. Returned

I felt a cool cloth on my forehead, and slowly opened my eyes. I was lying in a dim room I didn't really recognize. Gradually, I began to sit up, the cloth dropping to my lap. I looked around, feeling an odd sensation in my stomach. Where had I seen this place before? Voices sounded faintly in the hall, but I didn't recall any of them. The door began to slide open, and I hurriedly fell back down on my pallet, trying my best to act as though I were still asleep. 

“Don't even bother,” someone said. “I know you're awake.” 

I opened my eyes again, seeing Lin smile down at me. 

“Lin!” 

I tried to stand, but a wave of dizziness hit me and I fell. 

“Whoa, easy there, you dope,” Lin laughed, coming to catch me. “You don't wanna go too fast." 

“Where am I?” I asked, knowing how stupid it sounded. 

“You're in the bath house, silly,” she chided me. “And you've had us worried.” 

“How long have I been here?” 

“A few days, but you've been out the whole time.” 

“Days!” I cried. “Why didn't you wake me before?” 

“I tried, we all did, but you just wouldn't come out of it.” 

I sighed, rolling my eyes as I fell back against the pillows. It was then that I remembered Haku. 

“How's Haku been?” 

“He's been worried sick,” Lin told me. “He's changed since he last saw you.” 

“How did I even get here?” 

She shrugged. 

“From what Haku said, he was visiting you in the human world, when all of a sudden, you blacked out. I'm starting to think that the jerk cast some sort of spell on you.” 

“He wouldn't!” I gasped, suddenly angry. “If he wanted me to come, he could have just told me.” 

“He's tried to, more than once, but for some reason he couldn't get through to you.” 

“That's probably because I'm so thick headed.” 

She laughed along with me. 

“I don't know about that, but I think maybe it was because he didn't want to hurt you.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Ever since you left, he's been moodier than ever, and he's gotten pretty violent sometimes.” 

“Like how?” 

“Oh, blowing things up, smashing furniture to bits. It's enough to even give me chills.” 

“Wow, why would he do something like that?” 

“He was angry at himself, but no one was sure why.” 

“Do you think it had something to do with me?” I asked after a brief silence. Was I really the cause for his hostile attitude? 

“Maybe, but since you've been here he seems to have calmed down a bit, thankfully.” 

“Uh, Lin, can I ask you something?” 

“Sure, what?” 

“While I was gone, he never…killed anybody, did he?” 

“No, why?” 

“Just asking.” 

There was another silence; only this one was longer as I glanced around the room. The décor was simple, green with images of forests and rivers covering the walls, plain wooden furnishings, a single rug on the bamboo floor. I looked back at Lin a few moments later, finally noticing a wad of cloth in her arms. 

“What's that?” I asked. 

“Oh, this? It's just a little something. Haku and I made it for you.” 

She unfolded it, a simple dress made of ocean blue silk, expertly embroidered with dragons and clouds in gold and silver thread. 

“Oh my God!” I all but snatched it from her. “You made this?” 

“I made the dress, but he did the embroidery.” 

“Wow,” I sighed. “It's beautiful.” 

Lin gave an impatient smile. “Well don't just stand there, try it on!” 

I knew I must have looked shocked, because she added, “Don't worry; it's just us girls, after all.” 

Shrugging, but still feeling embarrassed, I stripped myself of my T-shirt and shorts, laying them at the foot of the pallet. I heard Lin gasp. 

“What?” I asked, my cheeks flaming. 

“I never noticed what a great figure you have,” she told me. “I can't wait to see what it looks like on you.” 

She handed me the dress. I quickly pulled it over my head, but was careful not to tug too hard, in case it ripped. The cloth settled on my body, almost clinging to me, as if it were part of my skin. I looked in a mirror on the floor, and saw Lin's eyes widen in surprise. 

“You're beautiful!” she exclaimed. For the first time, I noticed how long the dress was. It reached to my ankles, with a slit on each side going up to my knee. The hem was done in shimmering white ribbon. The sleeves were short, done the same way, along with the collar that reached my chin. 

“Are you sure it fits right?” I asked. I turned, seeing the dress from every angle I could, trying to see if it became revealing at some point. 

“Yeah, it fits perfectly, why?” 

“I just think it's too tight for some reason,” I admitted. 

Lin rolled her eyes. 

“You're just not used to form-fitting clothes, that's all.” 

That was true. I’d never worn form-fitting clothes in my life. 

A servant knocked on the door, gesturing for Lin to come. I turned from the mirror, though couldn't make out what they were saying. Their voices were low and quick, but it seemed to be good news, because both were smiling and giggling. 

“What was that all about?” I asked, feeling suspicious. 

“Oh, nothing,” Lin told me. “Its just Haku wants to see you.” 

“Really?” 

I started for the door, but Lin grabbed my hand. 

“Whoa, where do you think you're going?” she asked. 

“I thought I had to see Haku,” I began. 

“You're not going anywhere until you're ready.” 

“Ready for what?” 

She grinned slyly. 

“Haku's been moping about you ever since you left, so I think it's only fair you make an entrance when you see him.” 

“What are you talking about?” I asked. She just pulled me into a chair in response. 

“Don't worry,” she said. “I know what I'm doing. When I'm done, you won't be able to recognize yourself.” 

“Why does that give me a bad feeling?” I asked out loud, but Lin wasn't listening. 

“This is going to be great,” she murmured, and pulled the glittering purple band from my hair. “But the first thing we need to do is change this hairstyle of yours.” 

I just sighed, closing my eyes and giving in as she continued to mumble to herself. I found myself actually fearing what the outcome of all this would be.


	4. Girl Talk

“There, done!” I heard her exclaim. I nearly jumped out of my skin. 

“Gee, thanks for hurrying!” I complained. I’d pretty much fallen asleep, and I was sure Haku was furious by now. 

“Humph, that doesn't seem like a very grateful attitude,” she pouted. “You haven't even seen yourself yet.” 

I glared at her, but had to admit that she had a point. I couldn't be mad with her until I saw how stupid she made me look. 

“Alright,” I said. “But if I faint, I expect you to catch me.” 

“You'll be fine, now just look!” she said impatiently. I stuck out my tongue, then finally turned to look in the mirror. What I saw made me gasp. A young woman stared back at me. Her earth-brown eyes glimmered with blue-silver eye shadow, her lips red as a new rose. Her skin had a soft, dewy glow, and her nails were a sweet ocean sapphire. I reached up, and so did the girl in the mirror, placing a hand on the back of my head. I felt a solid gold band above a thick braid, following it to the middle of my back, where another gold band held the braid in place. I turned to Lin, catching a flash of purple from around my wrist. Thank God she hadn't thrown the hair tie away. Lin stared back at me, managing to look joyful and smug at the same time. 

“I told you, I know what I'm doing.” 

“I know, but, how did you do all this?” 

She held up an eye shadow brush. 

“Just spirit world make up.” 

I rolled my eyes, but smiled. 

“Thanks, Lin, I really can't recognize myself.” 

She laughed. 

“I'll be taking that as a compliment, if you don't mind.” 

I laughed with her, but then something struck me. “Won't Haku be angry with me for being so late?” 

“What do you think all that whispering was about?” Lin asked me. “I was just telling that nosy Yuna you'd be with Haku as soon as I was finished with you. She must have gone to tell him.” 

I looked back into the mirror, still shocked that the girl staring back was actually me. Lin put a hand on my shoulder. 

“Well, come on, we don't want to keep dragonboy waiting any longer.” 

I blushed. “No, I guess not.” 

Lin got a sly smile on her face. 

“He may need to jump into a tub of ice after he sees the new you.” 

“I doubt it'll come to that,” I said to myself. She pulled on me to get up. 

“Well, come on, we don't have all night. Haku's waiting for you by the river.” 

With that, I got to my feet, cast one last fleeting glance in the mirror, and followed Lin into the hall. That's when the trouble started. The second I left the room was the second people began staring at me. Some of the younger male spirits cast their eyes in my direction, the look of longing plain on their faces, while the girls just looked on with jealousy. I quickened my pace to keep up with Lin, feeling as though the weight of everyone's stares was pulling me back. When we finally reached the front door, I had to resist the impulse to gasp for air. I put a hand on the doorframe, trying to quietly catch my breath. 

“Lin, I don't feel comfortable with all this,” I said. “I'm not used to so many people looking at me.” 

“That'll pass,” she said. “They were just surprised is all.” 

“Are you sure?” I asked. Looking back into the hall, I glared at two spirits whom I caught staring. They instantly shuffled away. Turning back, I nearly gasped again. The land around the bathhouse didn't look anything like it had before. Giant trees covered the area, with a single dirt path winding through them. Bushes and flowers were in bloom, bursts of color among the brown and green; the air smelled like a perfume shop. 

“Wow, and I thought it was beautiful before,” I took a step forward. The grass was soft under my feet, as though I were walking on cotton. 

“So, do I just follow the path?” 

“Yeah, that’ll take you straight to the river,” she pointed to the road. “But you don't want to see Haku with dirty feet, so I suggest you take these.” 

She pulled a small pair of shoes out of nowhere, handing them to me. They were the same blue as the dress, embroidered with the same gold and silver patterns, and had the same white ribbon edging. I slipped them on; they felt heavenly. I gazed down at them, moving my feet around a bit to get the feel of them, then lifted my head. But Lin was gone. 

“Lin?” I asked the air. No answer. That's funny, where'd she go? She'd probably gone back inside, having been called on one errand or another, and couldn't wait for me to thank her. 

Shrugging, I began walking along the path, wondering what Haku would need to tell me in such a remote spot. 

I followed the path as I was told, listening for the sound of running water to guide me to the river. The light above came as a soft, greenish glow, sweetly muffled by the leaves and plants. I found myself glancing nervously into the wood surrounding the path, hoping there were no spirit monsters waiting to grab me. The path twisted and turned, but I somehow knew I was moving in the right direction, and then, I heard it. 

It was a smooth sound, starting out soft, but growing louder with each step I took. I wanted to quicken my pace, to throw myself in Haku's arms when I saw him, but I didn't want him thinking poorly of me. Who knows, maybe he only wanted me out here so he could tell me some bad news he didn't want them overhearing? 

_No, that's silly,_ I told myself. Why would he want to meet me out here just for that? Wondering what it might have been, I moved silently along, walking as though I were here every day, trying to imagine his reaction when he saw the new me. I nearly laughed out loud at my mind came up with. 

_Lin's probably filling the tub with ice right now._


	5. Haku

The woods surrounding me were void of shadow, as the sun shone directly overhead, yet I still felt uneasy as I stepped to the river. I looked both directions, but the shores seemed empty. There was a small stone bridge spanning its width. I gazed slowly about, senses alert for the smallest signs of trouble. It was kind of ridiculous sometimes. Here I was, a nineteen going on twenty-year-old woman, frightened because I was alone by a river in a place I'd been before; that seem strange to you? Thought so. I kept looking, only to feel someone breathing down my back. A voice hissed my name, soft lips kissing my neck.

“Haku?” I whispered. A small laugh, then he floated in front of me. He towered over me, at least six foot, with his dark hair hanging freely, blowing in the wind. His eyes were still bright as ever, green as the waters that trickled behind him. I felt my eyes drift down his form, seeing for the first time just how much he had changed.

He was not the skinny kid I remembered, his clothes similar to what he’d worn before. In place of his blue shorts was a pair of black pants, fastened around his ankles. His white shirt was tied over a black one, and he still wore those old-fashioned wooden shoes. He tilted my chin back with his hand, gasping in shock when he saw me.

“This is why I took so long,” I said. I twirled my finger through a loose strand of my hair. He ran his thumb softly over my cheek.

“I hardly recognized you,” he whispered. His voice was deeper, even smoother than it had been before. I smiled, resting my head on his chest.

“I hardly recognized _you_.”

“Chihiro…”

He pressed his mouth firmly to mine. I pulled away, unable to breathe.

 

I’d been back two weeks before I realized someone was missing. I’d searched the bathhouse from top to bottom, looking for a person that should’ve been easy to find. I thought of the towering baby, wondering where he could be, when a small voice came from behind me.

“Sen!”

I turned, seeing a little boy. He jumped in my arms, hugging me tightly. I gazed down at his head, my nose brushing his dark brown hair. He looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn't remember where I’d seen him before. In a few minutes a name came to me, and it seemed to suit him.

“Boh?” I asked. He looked up, smiling happily.

“You remember!” he shouted. I giggled, setting him down. He was the average size for an eight year old, his dark brown eyes glittering with excitement. The only people I hadn't seen now were Yubaba and Kamajii, wondering where they had gone.

“My mamma left,” said Boh, though he didn't seem that upset. Perhaps Yubaba hadn't cared for him as much as I'd thought.

“Where'd she go?” I knelt to his level. I’d borrowed one of Lin's uniforms, as they were easier to move in than that silk dress. Boh slowly shook his head.

“I don't know, no one does,” he said. “She just left one day, but her bird stayed.”

As if on cue, the little Yu-bird came to rest on his shoulder. I remembered the spell Granny had cast on them, and figured it liked this form better. I certainly did.

“Hey there,” I patted its head with my fingertip. It hopped on my hand, flitting up to tap my nose with its beak. I laughed, blowing it back in Boh's face. We were in the middle of our giggle fest when a tall spirit came up behind him. He put a finger softly to his lips, bending to gather the boy in his arms.

“Shouldn't you be in your room?” he asked playfully.

“I'm not scared of germs, Haku,” Boh said angrily. He shoved against Haku’s chest. “And I wanted to see Chihiro!”

“As it happened, so did I,” Haku glanced once in my direction, but I couldn't read his expression. He then set the boy back on his feet. Boh, apparently getting something I didn't, quickly vanished amongst the throng of spirits.

“Did you need me for something?” I asked. He shook his head, taking my hand.

“Come with me,” he said softly. He leaned closer, his sexy voice vibrating in my ear. “There's something I've wanted to show you.”

I felt my face warm as I blushed, but I allowed his fingers to tangle with mine, to lead me from the bathhouse and into the forest beyond.

“Where are we going?” I asked. He stopped, grinned, and changed into his dragon form. I climbed on his back, clung to him as he lifted into the air. He flew faster than he had before, so the land below was scarcely more than a blur. In a few minutes he landed atop a bare mountain.

The land showed no sign of life, with barely a loose stone to break the dark soil. He smiled, taking my hand as he led me through a tall cave. It was wide and shadowed, through grew lighter as we went on, instead of darker. The whole way I asked where we were going, but he appeared to ignore me as the pinpoint of light ahead slowly grew bigger, highlighting the land at our feet. In a little while we entered a large cove, completely hidden from the outside world.

“What is this place?”

The water flowed along a crystal white beach, with barely a ripple to disturb its sapphire surface. Trees laden with fruits and fragrant blooms filled the air with exotic perfume. The sky above was perfectly clear, the white sun casting its light across the perfect scene. I looked back to Haku, only to find he had vanished. His shirt lay in a crumbled heap on the rocks near the entrance, as well as his old sandals. I looked around until a pair of hands wrapped around my waist, tossing me into the water.

I came up coughing, glaring at him. He had his head tossed back, laughing loudly. Then he smiled, handsome face glowing with mirth. I plodded back to the beach, stripping my soaked clothes. I tossed them in his face, turning my back on him. I was wearing the black underwear I had the day I arrived so no matter how wet I became, he wouldn't see anything. I felt his hands slip around me, but I barely glanced at him.

“You could have warned me, at least,” I said angrily. He chuckled, kissing the top of my head.

“What fun would that have been?”

He tightened his embrace, pulling me right up against him. He tilted my chin back with his hand, passing his lips lightly over mine. I sighed, kissing him back. He suddenly turned me, so my chest was pressed against his, slipping his tongue past my swollen lips. My eyes closed, my arms wrapping around his neck as he pulled me off my feet. I realized then how quickly I could forgive him, once he began to turn up the heat. It felt like hours had passed before he broke away, setting me back on the sand. I felt my eyes glide down his torso, my mouth suddenly watering. He was definitely _not_ that skinny kid I remembered. I wondered why I hadn’t noticed before.

His muscular chest gleamed faintly with sweat, bringing to mind our shared passion, and a blush to my face. He slid a finger slowly down my cheek, his touch so light I could barely feel it. I fought to keep eye contact with him, my vision wanting to take in the sight of him, my hands itching to glide down his smooth skin. I moved closer, taking in the salty sweet smell of the sea. But it was also spicy, making my flesh tingle. I leaned against him, and promptly fell asleep.


	6. A Grave Warning

I don't know how long passed before I woke up, and it took me a while to recall where I was. I was back in the bathhouse, spread out in the room where I'd woken before. Only now there was a tall figure blocking the light that filtered through the window. They turned, but I didn't recognize them. I suddenly felt cold, pulling the blanket more tightly around me.

“You're afraid,” the figure hissed. It was deep, with a tone like a snake's hiss, yet I couldn't tell if they were male or female. “You have reason to be.”

“Who are you?” I asked. I tried to see their face, but they stood in such a way their appearance was shadowed from the shoulders up. What I could tell was they were slim, and that what little skin they showed was dark as wine. Their clothes weren’t much lighter. “What do you want?”

“Who I am is of no importance,” they snapped. “But know that I was sent here to warn you.”

“Warn me?” I got to my feet, not loosening my grip on the blanket. I stepped closer, but just a step before they lifted a hand. “Warn me of what?”

“There is danger coming,” they said. “A grave danger that threatens everything you know.”

“What do you mean?” the blanket fell from my hands. “Please, what danger is coming?”

The figure opened their mouth to speak again, when their body suddenly began to fade.

“I can offer no more,” they said. “But know that you will be seeing me again soon.”

The spirit vanished completely, and seconds later there was a knock on the door.

“Chihiro?” it was Lin. She looked worried.

“What? What is it?”

“I-It's Haku,” she managed. “Something's wrong with him.”

I don't think we stopped running until we reached the boiler room, but while I was bent over, Lin wasn't even panting. She waited until I caught my breath, then took my wrist and pulled me inside. I felt my eyes widen, a horrified gasp leave my lips.

“Haku!”

Lying on the floor was Haku, his face red. Blood ran from the corner of his mouth, collecting in a spreading pool by his head. I could hear the rasp while he breathed, watched as his body shook.

“What happened to him?” I was by his side in seconds, cradling his head in my lap. The spider-armed boiler man came up behind me, putting one of his hands on my shoulder.

“What did you see when you woke up this morning?” he asked.

“A-A…spirit,” I started. “T-They had red skin, like blood, and their voice was…strange…I couldn't tell if they were a man or a woman.”

I started crying, bending over so my forehead touched Haku's. My tears seemed to vaporize when they touched him, but I dared not pull away. I heard the people behind me gasp in horror.

“What is it?” I asked. “What's going on? Tell me!”

They glanced at each other.

“It was a warning spirit,” said Lin. “T-They never come around unless someone's in grave danger.”

“What?” I stared back at Haku. He looked like a child. Was he really about to die? “Is there anything I can do?”

Kamajii rubbed the back of his neck.

“There is no avoiding their prophecies,” he began sadly. “If they say someone will die, then it will happen.”

“What did they say to you?” Lin knelt beside me, hands on my shoulders. I sniffed.

“They…They said…” I fought to remember. “'There is a danger coming. A grave danger that threatens everything I know.'“

“Is that all?” she looked shocked. “But, then they're never very specific…” she rose as she spoke, until she was standing.

“And to think…” I started crying again, wiping my face on my sleeve. “I already used that medicine the river spirit gave me.”

“Medicine?”

I didn't know who spoke. I didn't care.

“That polluted river spirit, from the first time I was here…”

_Lin wrapped the rope around the thorn, tying it tightly in place. The other spirits just stood in awe._

“ _We got it!” cried ten-year-old Sen. Standing on an upper balcony, Yubaba opened two yellow fans. Everyone else went to grab the ropes._

“ _Everyone ready on my command!” she waved the fans as though she pulled rope. “And…heave!”_

“ _Heave!”_

_They echoed her cry each time she called out._

“ _Heave!”_

“ _Heave!”_

_Eventually, the thorn gave way, revealing something covered in repulsive green sludge._

“ _A bicycle?” questioned Sen. They all kept pulling, until a fishing hook was all that remained. Sen tugged on her own, yanking it free, all but blown away by the resulting spray. The pile of sludge melted into the overflowing tub, until the water at last appeared clear. In a few seconds, Sen was encased in a wall of water, and a wrinkled brown skull with missing teeth floated above the surface of the tub. There were several small tufts of white hair on the crown._

“ _Thank you,” said a raspy voice, and suddenly a long, dragon-like form was flying through the air, fazing through Sen's body and releasing her from the wall of water. The soaked girl looked down at her hands, seeing a ball that looked like dark green moss._

“ _Sen!”_

“I used that to get Yubaba's slug from his body,” I said now. “And the part I saved is back in the human world.”

“Is it?” said Kamajii. I thought he was crazy, but my hand went to my pocket anyway. At first, I didn't find anything, then something soft appeared under my fingers. I gasped, tugging it free. It was the small portion I'd bitten off eight years earlier. I gazed at Haku, hoping it'd be enough.

“Oh, please work,” I whispered, and slowly opened his mouth. It was easier when he wasn't a dragon, though his reaction was pretty much the same. Lin and Kamajii held him down while I pressed my hands to his mouth.

“Please, just swallow it!” He eventually did. “Oh, thank goodness!”

“Now what?” Lin sat back on her heels.

“We'll have to wait,” I said. “It took some time to work before, too.”

“Oh,” she sat a minute, then suddenly looked uncomfortable. “I have to go, but I'll come back later.”

She left before we could protest.


	7. His Place in History

“What happened to Yubaba?”

“No one knows,” Kamajii picked at his rice. “She just picked up and left one day, leaving Haku here in charge.”

Haku was still asleep. The bleeding had stopped, but he still had a fever. I’d almost cried myself dry before forcing myself to quit, knowing it wouldn’t solve anything. I took the cloth from his forehead, dipping it in a bucket of cool water Kamajii had poured. I wrung out the excess, unable to tear my eyes from his face.

“I thought spirits didn’t age,” I said absentmindedly.

“We do,” Kamajii said. “Just not the way humans do.”

“Then why does Haku look so much…older?” I blushed. “Shouldn’t he still look the same?”

Kamajii fidgeted, as if thinking something.

“What is it?”

“Well, not many people know this,” he started nervously. “But Haku used to be human.”

My jaw dropped.

“W-What?”

“He was,” the old man nodded. “A prince, if you can believe it.”

I glanced at Haku again. I’d always thought there was something regal about him, but a human prince?

“How’s that possible?”

“He was born with the ability to see into our world, and he soon found how to travel between our world and yours. It isn’t too clear, but somehow they learned about this, demanding he bring them here.”

“‘They’?”

“His father’s generals,” Kamajii’s voice grew harsher. “They were blinded by their want for power. Haku refused, knowing the dire consequences invading this place would bring. One night, he came to warn us, only to have the gate ripped open behind him.”

I gulped.

“T-Then what happened?”

He visibly shuddered.

“The elders retaliated by throwing the human world into chaos, stopping only when Haku begged them to. He said it was his fault the generals had gotten through, that he’d do anything to make sure they never came back. He was gravely wounded in the battle, but instead of letting him perish, they gave him a choice. He could return to the human world, or be given a place among us. Either way, he would live, though his memories of the other world would be erased forever.”

“What happened to the generals?”

“They were transformed into the oni, cursed demons unable to leave the human world.”

I was quiet, trying to absorb what I’d been told.

“Kamajii, why do you think he chose to be a spirit?”

“I think it was because he felt he didn’t belong with humans, though we may never know for sure.”

I turned once again to Haku. His breathing was slower, more even. His fever seemed to have gone down as well.

“I heard somewhere spirits can change what they look like. Is that true?”

“Only the elementals. The rest of us are stuck, I’m afraid.”

I couldn’t help but giggle.

“What’s so funny?”

Lin pulled the door closed with her foot, tossing star-shaped candies to the soot sprites. I shook my head.

“I just asked Kamajii if spirits could change how they looked. Apparently, only the nature ones can.”

“Yeah, Haku never seemed to care what he looked like before you came along,” she collected our empty dishes. “But after you left, he must’ve decided he didn’t want to be a little kid anymore.”

“Probably because he knew I wouldn’t be that way forever.”

“Don’t be so glum,” Lin threw a handful of candies at me. “It’s better than him still looking twelve, right?”

I laughed again.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t help our problem,” I squeezed his hand. “What happened to him?”

They looked at each other, than at me. Lin sighed, Kamajii tapping the floor.

“What time did you say you saw the warning spirit?” Lin asked.

“I don’t know. What’s that have to do with anything?”

“They’ve come here before,” Kamajii explained. “And each time, one of the more powerful spirits has gotten sick, we’re not sure why it happens. They’ve always recovered, though it was sometimes years before they regained their full power.”

“Well, what’s that mean for Haku?”

“It’s too early to tell,” Lin knelt, pulling the thin blanket to Haku’s shoulders. “All we can do is watch and wait for him to wake up.”

I was quiet. For some reason, her words made me want to cry again. I tried to hold back, barely registering their shocked faces as I dashed outside. It was a clear day, the air warm, but all I could do was sob. I lowered myself to the ground, curling in a ball. What if he never woke up? I pictured him lying there, wasting away until there was nothing left.

_Oh, Haku…_

I remembered the first time we’d met, when I’d fallen in his river after losing my shoe, then how much he’d helped me during my first visit to the bathhouse. Even then, when I was too young to know what love was, I’d loved him, and now I was going to lose him.

_Haku, please, please be okay!_

The door fell shut. I cringed, thinking it was Lin. She knelt in front of me, brushing tear-soaked bangs from my eyes.

“H-He’s gone, isn’t he?”


	8. The First Secret

“It’ll take a lot more than a warning spirit to kill me.”

I gasped. He took my hands, bringing us both to our feet. He tilted my chin back, stroking my wet cheek.

“H-Haku?”

He wrapped me in his arms. I tried to smile, but my guilt was too much.

“I should’ve stayed home…” I muttered.

“What are you talking about?” his grip tightened. “You saved my life, Chihiro.”

“That spirit visited _me,_ Haku,” I argued. “If I hadn’t come here, neither would-”

He shut me up with a searing kiss. I fell against him, my knees growing weak.

“I didn’t mean to bring you here,” his face was barely an inch from mine. “I didn’t mean for you to get sucked into this.”

“Into what?”

Instead of answering, he turned into his dragon form. Again, I wondered how I hadn’t noticed the changes. His mane and tail were darker, his scales more illuminant than ever. He looked stronger, fiercer, a creature not to be messed with. I climbed on his back, gripping his twisted horns. He flew to the top floor of the bathhouse, where Yubaba had lived. I turned to him when we landed, wondering what game he was playing.

“You’re being awfully secretive about this, Kohaku,” I admonished. He took my hand after he transformed, leading me inside. The old witch’s gaudy excess had been replaced with elegant simplicity, the dark walls repainted to look like an ocean in sunlight. The furniture was made of light wood, the stately doors to the office as intimidating as ever.

“We’re at war, Chihiro.”

It was so quiet I almost didn’t catch it. I turned from the room, staring quizzically at him.

“War?”

“The oni have found a way to get to the spirit world,” he was deadpan. I remembered the story Kamajii had told me, wondering if I should bring it up.

“Why aren’t they allowed here?” I feigned innocence.

“I never understood why,” he shook his head. “But the elders have said their deeds were unforgiveable.”

“There’s a story about how they forced someone to open a gate for them,” I settled for fudging the truth. “But I don’t know if it’s true or not.”

“I used to think they were spirits who became corrupt,” he scratched his head. “After what I’ve seen, I’m not so sure anymore.”

“Why did you bring me up here?”

“I wanted a place where we couldn’t be overheard,” he was serious again. “There’s not many spirits I can trust.”

I must have looked confused, because he offered one of his infamous smiles.

“The elders believe the oni might be hiding among us,” the grin wilted a bit. “And I’m sure you’ve noticed how terrible we are at keeping secrets.”

“How would I know if you were keeping secrets?” I countered. “I really don’t know that much about you.”

“Fair enough,” he shrugged. “What do you want to know?”

“Kamajii said only the most powerful spirits are affected by warning spirits,” I told him. “And you were. Just how powerful are you?”

He looked thoughtful.

“I’m not really sure how to explain it,” he rubbed his chin, and I found myself wondering if he ever needed to shave. “I mean, I’m not quite a god, but I’m not a regular spirit, either.”

“What’s the difference between a god and an elder?”

“Elders are just what we call the oldest spirits, kind of like a high council.”

“Oh.”

I bit my lip, debating whether I should ask my next question.

“What were you doing in my backyard that day?”

“I wanted to see you. Normally, I can’t leave the spirit world for long,” he looked sheepish. “But that stone I gave you was infused with water from my old river, meaning I could be in the human world as long as I stayed near it.”

“What about that…thing you were doing?” I shook my head. “You know, with the stream.”

“I was finishing what you started,” he took my hand. “When you named it, you helped me reestablish my link with your world; I just made sure no one could take it again.”

“So, now it’ll always be there?” I felt myself smile. “No matter what happens?”

“No matter what happens,” he cupped my cheek. “I couldn’t live if I lost you again.”

“You never lost me, Haku,” I threw my arms around him. He returned the gesture, almost crushing me against his chest. “You never will.”


	9. Her Choice

“What do you mean, you’re not going home?”

It was the fifteenth time she’d asked me that question. I sighed, throwing my brush to the bottom of the tub.

“I mean exactly what I said, Lin,” I crossed my arms. “I’m staying here, where I belong.”

I lost track of how long it had been since I’d first woken up in that room. It hadn’t taken much to decide to start working again, since I’d pretty much been living here rent-free.

“B-But,” Lin was as frustrated as I was. She groaned, and I could tell she was trying not to strangle me. I laughed, picking up my brush and dropping it in the bucket.

“I stayed before,” I reminded her. “How’s this gonna be different?”

“You went back last time,” she looked at me. “Now, you’re talking about staying for good.”

“I don’t have much to go back to,” I admitted. “Ever since I left, I felt out of place. I’m not going back.”

She stared at me like I was crazy, then rolled her eyes and climbed out.

“I think we’re pretty much done here,” she said flatly. “Why don’t you go see Kamajii or something?”

She left before I could answer. I took the bucket and dumped it in the garden, wondering what was wrong with her. Didn’t she want me to stay?

_I need to get out of here for a while._

I wondered where I could go. It was the middle of the night and the bathhouse was packed, meaning Kamajii and Haku were already busy enough. They didn’t need me bothering them. Someone tugged on my sleeve. I turned, seeing Boh.

“What’s wrong, Chihiro?”

“Nothing, Boh,” I smiled. “I just finished my work and I don’t know what to do.”

He looked excited.

“You can come with me to Aunty Zeniba’s!”

“You visit her?”

“Every week,” he nodded. “Haku usually takes me, but he doesn’t have time now. Will you?”

I’d almost forgotten about Zeniba and Noface. Boh gazed at me expectedly, almost hopping in place.

“Okay, let’s go,” my smile vanished. “But how will we get there? I can’t fly like Haku can.”

He pulled something from his pocket, a bundle of train tickets.

“He won’t fly me if the weather isn’t good,” he said. “He doesn’t want me to get sick.”

Well, that solved getting there, but how would we get back?

“The train only goes one way.”

“Maybe Aunty Zeniba will have a way to get us back,” he put the tickets away. “Or Haku will find out we’re gone and come get us.”

I thought about it. I wanted to see them just as much as he did, and it did sound like getting back wouldn’t be a problem. And anything would be better than getting in the way around here.

“Okay. Just let me change, then we can go.”

 

The water around the tracks was shallow enough to walk in. I took Boh’s hand to keep him from wandering ahead, the other holding one of the lanterns we’d “borrowed”. Yu-bird flitted from his shoulder to mine and back again, though I wasn’t sure what made it so restless. Boh held the other lantern, his face twisted in thought.

“Chihiro, what’s the human world like?”

He stumbled a bit on the word human. I glanced at him, always keeping an eye on the tracks ahead.

“It’s nothing like this,” I said. It was already getting hard for me to remember. “I mean, yeah, we have trains and stuff, but it’s really loud and dirty. Most of us don’t care about nature the way you do here.”

“Did you like it there?”

“I did at first, it was all I knew, but then I came here.”

“And?”

“And…it just never felt right after that. I knew what happened every time we chopped down a forest or filled in a river. One more of you guys lost your home.”

He was quiet, as if processing what I’d told him. I wondered what he’d say next.

“What about your parents?” he looked sad. “If you stay here, you won’t get to see them.”

“I haven’t seen them in a while,” it was all I could tell him. “We kind of lost touch after I moved out.”

“Oh.”

He turned back to the tracks. We could already see the platform in the distance. They must’ve built one closer to the bathhouse. Yu-bird finally settled on my lantern, its tiny feet clutching the edge. We heard the train whistle, running the last few yards to the platform.

 _I still don’t know how we’ll get back,_ I thought as we boarded. Boh climbed in my lap, resting his head on my shoulder. It amazed me how natural it felt to hold him, and I found myself hoping I’d get to do it plenty in the future. _But I guess that’s not important now._


	10. The Visit

I shook Boh awake as we reached Swamp Bottom. He’d fallen asleep in my lap a few minutes after we’d boarded, Yu-bird settled comfortably on the windowsill.

“What happened?” Boh rubbed his eyes.

“We’re almost there,” I felt sorry for waking him up, but I didn’t want to risk missing our stop. I hid a yawn as the train slowed. Boh scooped Yu-bird gently into his hands.

“Looks like we’re the only ones getting off here.”

Zeniba’s lantern hopped in place, as though excited to see us. I laughed.

“We better get going before it gets too far ahead.”

It was quiet as usual, Boh tugging me along in his excitement. He must have sensed something, because after a while he stayed by my side.

“A lot of stuff changed after my mama left,” he said. “Haku made things better for everyone, including me.”

“I thought Yubaba loved you.”

“She did in her way, but she did something to me so I’d stay a baby forever. Haku stopped it, so now I can grow up.”

“Why would she do that?”

He shrugged.

“I heard someone say it was because she never wanted me to look like my dad. I didn’t even know I had one.”

“Everyone has a dad, Boh.”

“Not Haku,” he shook his head. “He never talks about his family. I don’t think he remembers them.”

I thought about telling him the story of Haku’s past, then decided not to. I knew he’d tell Haku, and I had a feeling I wouldn’t like what happened next. We were also getting close to Zeniba’s cottage, Noface waiting for us by the gate. He waved his small arms, the lantern attaching to the arch above his head.

“Uh! Uh!”

I waved back, hugging him tightly. He looked the same, a hill of shadow with a white mask for a face. Zeniba waited in the doorway, looking both happy and worried. Boh and I took turns hugging her, the kind witch gripping my wrist when I pulled away.

“Granny?”

“Come with me, my dear,” her voice was urgent. “There’s something we must talk about.”

“Aunty Zeniba, why are you taking Chihiro?” Boh asked. “I want her to play with me!”

“We’ll be back in a few minutes, dear,” she smiled. “I just have some questions for her.”

“Okay.”

She brought me to a small library, closing the door and locking it behind us.

“What’s wrong?” I blurted. “I’ve never seen you so nervous before.”

“You said you’re planning to stay in this world, correct?”

“Yes,” I hoped she wouldn’t ask why I’d made that choice. “Is there a problem?”

“Humans are not meant to remain in this world; it’s a miracle if they last a day. You even managed to charm a dragon.”

She shook her head slowly, her smile fading.

“I know you feel like you belong here, but it would be best for everyone if you returned to the human world.”

“I hated it there,” I told her. “Everyone treated me like I was a freak.”

“It was the residue from my protection spell. It was supposed to prevent you from coming back here.”

My jaw dropped.

“You didn’t…want me coming back?”

“Of course I did,” she smiled again, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “But I knew it would bring trouble.”

“You mean the warning spirit?”

“The war. When Haku brought you here, he inadvertently left a trail for the oni. There’s no way to keep them out now.”

My chest hurt. My throat was burning.

“I’ll tell Haku,” I heard myself say. “Then I’ll go.”

I turned, unlocked the door and left the library. Boh was in the sitting room, watching Noface spin thread. He didn’t look up when I walked by; I was so stiff I could barely move. I couldn’t talk, my mind crying out as I went outside. It had started raining while I talked to Zeniba, and now it was a steady downpour.

 _What’s wrong with me?_ I couldn’t fight the spell I found myself under. The more I did, the stronger it seemed to get. I didn’t recognize where it led me, a massive rotting log far beyond Zeniba’s cottage. I felt exhausted, as though I’d walked for hours.

“Where am I?” my knees buckled. “Is anyone out there?”

“You’re quite noisy, you know.”

A young man knelt on a high branch. He dressed like an ancient nobleman, his dark kimono richly embroidered in red. His looks rivaled Haku’s, his eyes narrowing as he regarded me.

“W-Who are you?”

I doubted he heard me, my voice and the storm being what they were. He leapt from the branch, landing silently before me.

“I can see why he desires you,” his voice was silky. “You truly are a beauty.”

I blushed, rubbing my arms in hopes I wouldn’t freeze to death. I swallowed, my mouth dry.

“Who are you?”

In response, he pulled off his haori, draping it over me.

“I was sent to watch over you.”

“By who?” I could barely hear myself. He turned to the path I’d taken, his eyes narrowing.

“They won’t find you here. My work is done.”

There was a gust of wind.


	11. Misted Recovery

Talking. Someone was talking. My eyes were open but I couldn’t see anything. I opened my mouth to speak, only to have warm liquid fall on my tongue.

“You gave us quite a scare.”

I swallowed, reaching for my face. A heavy cloth rested on my eyes, firm hands grabbing mine before I could pull it off.

“It’s better if you don’t see us, child,” the voice was kind. “Not for the moment, at least.”

“W-Where am I?”

“Safe,” a different voice. “That’s all we can tell you for now. The rest will come when you’re ready.”

“Ready for what?”

I put my hand back on the bed. It was amazingly soft, like lying on a silk cloud.

“Who are you?”

“We were sent to protect you,” the first said. They touched my forehead. “Your fever’s cooled.”

“How long have I been here?” I asked. “What happened to me?”

“We found you in the forest,” the second voice. “You were almost dead, poor thing.”

“Enough,” spoke the first. They pulled the heavy blanket to my chin. “It’s time you rested. When I feel you’re ready, then we will answer your questions.”

They left before I could talk again. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t fall asleep. Too much was running through my head: why had Granny acted that way, and how had I gotten from her house to here? The last thing I remembered was that man in the tree, his haori protecting me from the rain.

_Could this have something to do with the war?_

It made sense and no sense at the same time. What did me being dragged to the woods have to do with the oni? On the other hand, who else would have the motive to cast that kind of spell on me? Would Haku and the others find out where I was before something happened? I wondered if he’d already taken Boh back to the bathhouse, if he’d even noticed I wasn’t there.

 _He had to,_ I held the pendent to my heart. _We’re connected, I know we are._

 

I didn’t remember falling asleep. I pulled the cloth from my eyes, deciding I’d waited long enough to find out where I was. The ceiling was glass, faceted like a diamond, wavering with  faint mist. The only light came from small oil lamps recessed in the perfectly round walls. The whole space faintly shimmered, as if bathed in magic.

“Good, you’re awake.”

He didn’t look much older than me, balancing a tray with one hand as he pushed the door shut with the other. He wasn’t much taller than me, either, his dark blue hair falling in a braid to his waist. His spiked bangs hung over curious silver eyes. His dark tan led me to think he was some kind of nature spirit.

“How long have I been here?” I asked. “Who are you?”

“My name is Khan,” he set the tray on a small table by my bed. “My sister and I were sent by our lord to watch over you.”

“Your lord?”

“It’s strange,” he shrugged his thin shoulders. It was amazing how frail he looked, now that I noticed. “He’s never taken an interest in humans before now.”

“I was told I was the first to last more than a day,” I didn’t see a reason to hide anything from him. “Is this place really that dangerous?”

“At times,” he said gravely. “It’s more dangerous than hell itself.”

I gulped. The worst thing I’d seen was a crazed Noface chasing me through the bathhouse.

“Does anyone else know I’m here?”

He shook his head.

“Just my sister and our lord. He thought it best be kept secret, given the circumstances.”

I touched my pendent again. So, Haku really _didn’t_ know where I was.

“C-Can you tell me what happened, at least? How did I end up here?”

“I brought you here when I found you. It looked like you were under an illusionary trance.”

“Illusionary trance?”

“Do you remember anything unusual happening before you woke up?”

I told him how Granny had acted once we’d arrived, how she’d told me it would be best to leave. Also about the boy who’d found me and covered me with his haori.

“He said someone desired me, that he was sent to watch over me. Was all that part of the illusion?”

He opened his mouth to reply, when he suddenly looked pale.

“I have to go for now,” he turned away. “My sister will come later to check on you.”

And like that, he was gone.

 

“You’re a total klutz, you know that?”

I was currently picking myself off the floor. I hadn’t noticed my feet were tangled in the sheets until I’d fallen flat on my face.

“Yes, I’m well aware,” I tried not to sound too snarky. The girl above me laughed, holding out her hand.

“My name’s Fawn,” she smiled. “You’ve probably already met my brother.”

I wouldn’t have known they were related unless she’d told me. Her light skin contradicted Khan’s, her eyes gold. The only similarity was the braid falling to her waist, though her hair was as yellow as a sunflower.

“Yeah,” I was finally able to stand. “Khan said you’d come.”

She sighed.

“He’s a total buzzkill, isn’t he?”

“No, to be honest, he was more confusing than anything else.”

Fawn sat cross-legged on the floor, a child who’d gotten a new toy.

“What did he say?”

“He told me what happened, that you were the only ones who knew I was here.”

“That’s true,” she nodded. “You want to know what an illusionary trance is, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” I didn’t bother asking how she’d known. She put a hand on her chin, her eyes narrowing in thought.

“You know those things humans see in deserts?”

“You mean mirages?”

“Yeah. That’s basically what an illusionary trance is, except the victim can interact with what they see. It’s one of the first spells apprentices learn.”

She stood, brushing imaginary dust off her pants. She went to the door, motioning for me to follow.

“I’ll tell you more later, but you look like someone who loves a warm bath.”

I would’ve answered, had my stomach not growled instead. She laughed again.

“Make that a warm bath and a good meal. Come on, it’s time you saw the rest of this place.”

 

I hadn’t expected it to be so big. Every room was a perfect circle, topped with the same faceted glass. Fawn told me the mist was the spell that kept the house hidden, cast by the lord I may or may not ever meet.

“He practically raised us and I can’t remember ever seeing his face.”

We were lounging in a large tub. It was shaped like a lotus flower, an imperfection along the edge making the perfect place to sit.

“Raised you?” it just registered with me. She rolled her eyes.

“You didn’t think spirits were adults their whole lives, did you?”

“Well, actually I did,” I was embarrassed to admit it. “You mean they’re not?”

“Most of us grow with what we protect in the human world. We can have children, too.”

“I was never sure about that. Is it the same way with spirits as it is with humans?”

“Usually, though if different kinds have children together, it can cause big problems.”

“Like what?”

“Well, take Khan and me,” she cupped her hands. “Our father was a water spirit and our mother was a fire spirit. When we were born, his lake grew hotter and hotter until nothing could live in it anymore. It nearly killed both of them.”

“Wow…” I began wondering what other things spirits mating had caused. I was about to ask when she stood, revealing she wasn’t nearly as frail as her brother.

“I think we’ve lounged around long enough,” she stepped out, drying instantly. “It’s time for that meal I promised you, plus Khan said he wanted to talk to us.”


	12. The Second Secret

Khan was in the library, surrounded by books and scrolls. Fawn tapped his shoulder, startling him.

“Haven’t I told you not to sneak up on me?” his voice was calm as ever. She laughed.

“It’s too much fun and you make it too easy.”

He rolled his eyes, turning to me.

“Nice to see you up and about. How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” I hoped he didn’t notice the bruise on my forehead, the remnant of my morning faceplant. “Thank you both for taking care of me.”

“We’re just following orders,” he said graciously.

“You were that boy, weren’t you?” I asked. I’m not sure what put the idea in my head, but it seemed to fit. “The one who found me in the forest.”

Like last time, he grew pale, suddenly clutching his head as though he were in pain. Before we could ask, he vanished, a puff of smoke the only sign he’d been there. I turned to Fawn, who looked as confused as I was.

“I don’t know what’s going on here,” she glanced at one of the scrolls on the table. “He’s acting like a remembrance spell was cast on him.”

“A remembrance spell?”

“It affects the victim’s memory, either by making them forget something or causing them pain if they try to share something.”

“Who would do that?”

“There’s no telling,” she swallowed. “Anyone powerful enough to cast one would be almost impossible to find.”

“How’s that possible?”

“They’d be able to ‘clean up’ the residue from their magic, so there’s no way of tracking them.”

“Can you think of anyone who’d want him to forget…whatever it is he wants to remember?”

She bit her lip, looking nervous.

“Not really, except for,” she shook her head. “But that couldn’t be. He’s been dead for years. There’s no way…”

“Fawn!” I gripped her shoulders. It had some kind of calming effect on her, the fear in her eyes clearing. “Who are you talking about?”

She glanced around.

“His name is Taizai,” she muttered. “He’s…sort of a criminal here.”

For some reason, the name sounded familiar, though I couldn’t tell you where I’d heard it.

“Who is he?” I asked. “What did he do?”

“He…created things,” she said haltingly. “Practiced banned magic. He disappeared a long time ago.”

“You said he was supposed to be dead,” I took my hands away. I could feel her fear and it was making my stomach drop. “How long has he been gone?”

“I don’t know, but it was before Khan and I were born. Some spirits believe he’s just a myth.”

“Are you sure he’s the one who cast this spell?” I spoke slowly, trying to keep her calm. “There’s no one else?”

“Mm-mmm.”

“Okay,” I sighed, wondering why I was so level-headed. Normally, I’d be panicking just as much as she was, if not more. “Now, why would he want to cast a remembrance spell on Khan?”

She bit her lip again, looking terrified. She backed away, stumbling over a chair. I felt heavy hands on my shoulders, but where I should’ve felt fear, was only a strange calm.

“How long have you been listening?” I asked. The person laughed.

“I’m surprised you didn’t notice me earlier,” his voice hissed like a snake’s. I pulled away, turning to see a tall, slim man. He reminded me of a dream I could barely remember.

“Taizai.”

His colorless lips spilt, revealing perfect, pointed teeth. His short hair was white as snow, his eyes constantly shifting between a comforting brown and a bone-chilling blue.

“I see you remember me,” he said gleefully. “I’m afraid that won’t help you, hime.”

“I don’t know you,” I spat. What was going on with me? Why wasn’t I freaking out? “Who are you? What do you want?”

“I just wanted to see if the rumors were true,” he gazed at me with mocking respect. “You really have returned, hime.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

He laughed again, the sound almost manic.

“You still don’t know, how sad,” he took a step back, bowing at the waist. “I look forward to our next encounter, hime.”

Without so much as a spark, he vanished, leaving nothing but the cold in my heart and a bitter taste in my mouth. I turned to Fawn, who still cowered on the floor.

“Are you alright?” I knelt beside her, hating how she looked at me. “What’s wrong?”

She whimpered in response, tears welling in her wide, horrified eyes.

“G-Get away from me!” she smacked my hand away. “Leave me alone!”

The blow almost snapped my wrist. My nails had grown, the tips stained was blood. Was it mine? Hers? Her shaking hand reached toward mine, flinching back like I’d burned her.

“No wonder,” she muttered. “You’re just like him.”

 

“Are you crazy?”

I heard everything. I couldn’t move, trapped by a binding sutra. Khan had cast it on me before going to talk to Fawn in the next room, as though afraid I’d do something to hurt them.

“No, I saw it with my own eyes,” I couldn’t believe how scared she still sounded. “She’s just like him!”

“No, she isn’t,” he sounded sure. “If she was, she would have killed you on the spot.”

“She was probably just too distracted.”

What was happening to me? I kept getting the urge to tear something apart, followed by a cascade of thoughts telling me to fight it. Was I going insane? Is that why humans never lasted more than a day here?

“I’ll go talk to her,” Khan’s tone was comforting. “Then I’ll tell him. He deserves to know.”

Was that the same ‘him’ or a different one? My mind was whirling, making me feel sick.

“I guess we owe you an explanation,” Khan shut the door softly behind him.

“I just want to know why you threw this sutra on me.”

I blew at the piece of paper stuck to my forehead.

“Fawn insisted,” he peeled it off, freeing me from its hold. “I had no choice.”

I rubbed my neck, feeling like I’d slept on a wooden board.

“Who’s this ‘him’ you guys keep talking about?”

“I thought you only wanted to know why I put that sutra on you.”

I rolled my eyes. His sarcastic sense of humor came out at the weirdest times.

“That kind of includes why she asked you to put it on me in the first place.”

“I wish I could,” he gave an apologetic smile. His teeth were beautifully white, though he was missing a canine. “But I don’t know anymore about it than you do.”

“And I guess there’s the remembrance spell Taizai cast on you.”

He blanched.

“H-How’d you find out about that?”

“He visited us in the library. I guess she didn’t tell you that part.”

“She just said you’d gone crazy.”

I filled in the details, or told him everything, whichever it fell under.

“The weirdest part is I felt like I’d heard his name before, but I still have no idea how that could be.”

“A lot of spirits think he’s a myth,” he rubbed his smooth chin. “Maybe humans know the story, too.”

“I never heard of it, and I read everything I could find after I left this world.”

“Just because it’s not written down doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”

“I guess you’re right,” I smiled. “But if it’s not written down, how can we find it?”


	13. In your Dreams

“Are you sure this is gonna work?”

Khan looked up from the bowl. He’d gotten the idea that the answers we wanted were hidden in my memories, thinking a special potion could help me remember.

“I haven’t really done this before,” he admitted. “But I’ve read a lot about it. It might be our best shot.”

“As long as you have _some_ idea what you’re doing,” I rolled my eyes. “Where’s Fawn?”

He glanced at me.

“Do you really have to ask?”

It felt like she’d been avoiding me for days. I sighed.

“How does this potion work, exactly?”

“It’ll allow me to see into your dreams while you sleep,” he blushed. “The only problem is…I have to kiss you.”

“What?!”

“There has to be some kind of intimate contact,” he seemed as embarrassed as I did. “Otherwise the spell might not work the way we want it to.”

He dipped a finger in the bowl, coating his lips with light purple liquid. I did the same, trying to keep from licking it off. It smelled strange, like over-ripe peaches and pond water. He set the bowl down, sitting across from me. His blush hadn’t faded.

“Does it have to be a kiss?” I asked. “Wouldn’t holding hands or a hug work?”

“If we only needed a few minutes, but finding what we want may take longer.”

“What’s going to happen?”

“I know you’re trying to stall, but I’ll answer anyway,” he shook his head. “As soon as the contact is made, you’ll fall asleep, and I’ll be able to interact with you in your dream.”

I nodded, closing my eyes as I took a deep breath. I felt the slightest pressure on my mouth, then nothing. A second later, a light breeze caressed my face.

“Looks like we’re here.”

Khan and I were standing in an empty field, similar to the one at the entrance of the spirit world.

“Not what I was expecting,” he looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun. “But it looks like a storm’s coming.”

There was. Black clouds boiled over the mountains, spitting lightning. A row of wine-red figures stood before them, staring at us with impassive faces.

“We told you to leave,” the first one said. “Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t belong in the human world,” why did I sound so confident? “I belong in the spirit world.”

“You are human,” spoke the second one. “How can you forsake where you came from?”

“Humans are disgusting creatures, I know that better than anyone,” I cringed. “I wouldn’t care if I never saw another one again.”

The clouds had gotten closer, the wind stronger. A piece of bark stung my cheek. The third red figure held out their hands, as though offering something.

“There is no way for you to remain here,” they said. “Heed our warning. Return to where you came from.”

“I won’t! I’m never going back to that place!”

“We can see into your memories,” said the fourth. How many of these people were there? “We know what haunts you. Return to your world, and we will cure this.”

“I don’t need to be cured,” my fingernails cut into my hands. “I need you to keep out of my life!”

They turned to each other, nodding slowly. The clouds were even darker, dumping hail and sleet. Thunder charged through the valley. I felt the ground shake, stirring something deep inside me. Khan grabbed my wrist before I could act on it, leaning close to be heard over the storm.

“Ask them about the warning, Chihiro, we’re running out of time.”

I glanced at him, feeling my anger cool. I turned back to the crimson people.

“One of you visited me a few weeks ago. I want to know about this ‘grave danger’ they spoke of.”

They were silent. The one on the far left stepped out of line.

“We are not allowed to reveal the threads of fate,” they began. “We can only warn, that is our duty.”

“Who puts you up to it?” I demanded. “I’ll ask them personally if I have to.”

“You are already closer to them than you think.”

The wind crescendoed, then abruptly stopped. The chunks of hail in the grass melted, rivulets of water flowing past my ankles. Sunlight streaked through the growing cracks in the clouds.

“The dream’s fading,” Khan touched my shoulder. “We’ve gotten all we can for one trip.”

“Wait,” I turned back to the warning spirits. I had one last question for them. “Where is Haku?”

The last one to speak shook their head.

“He is where he needs to be, that is all we can tell you.”

With that, they vanished, and Khan and I were back in reality.

“Well,” I scoffed. “That was informative.”

“Indeed,” he rubbed his chin again, not hearing my sarcasm or ignoring it. “A few more tries will give me all the information I need.”

I sighed, getting to my feet. I was stiff, like I’d slept on a board.

“I was afraid you’d say that.”


	14. Revelations

I was starting to enjoy this. The potion had almost become a daily thing, though I had no idea what Khan was getting out of the things we saw. The latest trip down memory lane involved a story my grandpa had told me. I was surprised there even was a memory; he died when I was three. The story was about a man with white hair, how his actions had changed the course of history. At first, I’d thought it was Taizai, but the blurry figure I’d imagined didn’t quite match him.

“How much longer do you think we’ll have to do this?”

“As long as it takes to find what we’re looking for.”

He reached on a high shelf, grabbing a clay bottle. It was the first time I’d watched him make the potion, being careful to memorize the ingredients in case I ever needed to make it on my own.

“How long have you been an apprentice?”

“I started pretty much the day I could walk.”

Something was starting to bother me. I bounced my knee, biting my lip as I glanced around the kitchen. It had gotten harder and harder to keep my eyes on him, part of me begging to do something I wouldn’t have dreamed of before this memory thing. I slipped off my stool, surprising him when I appeared in front of him. He stared at me, his dark cheeks suddenly fuchsia.

“I-Is something the matter?”

I shook my head, taking the bowl from his hands and setting it on the table.

“I was just wondering,” I knew I was blushing as much as he was. “Maybe we could try a kiss without that potion?”

He gaped at me, though I could tell he’d been thinking the same thing. I don’t know which of us moved first. One minute we were staring at each other, the next his lips were on mine. I touched his kimono, feeling his heart beneath the soft silk. The beat was firm and steady, unlike mine.

“I’ve never done that before,” he whispered. When had he gotten so tall? My head only reached his shoulder now.

“Have you ever been around another girl besides Fawn?”

“I’ve never even left this place.”

I giggled, taking his hand.

“Maybe we could change that now. All we have to do is use the front door.”

“What about the oni? The lord’s spell won’t hide you out there.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” I made my voice soft, leaning against him. “After all, I have a big, strong spirit to protect me.”

“I’m not falling for that,” he chuckled, embracing me. “No matter how pretty you are.”

I rolled my eyes.

“For someone who’s never been around girls, you sure know how to talk to them.”

“Guess it comes naturally.”

I stuck my tongue out at him. I was losing this battle more quickly than I thought. He sighed, slipping his fingers through mine.

“Fine. I’ll take you out if you promise to stop pouting.”

He led me to the only room Fawn hadn’t shown me. It was the biggest, the domed ceiling supported by wooden columns. Each one was a work of art in itself, carved and painted to depict a different type of spirit. It was the only one without the glass, the ceiling taken up by a mural of the sky. The floor was a mosaic, a map of the spirit world. At one end was a black and white throne, the other a set of double doors.

“Ever been in here?”

“Once, when I was very young.”

He waved a hand when we reached the doors. I expected then to open, surprised when nothing happened.

“That’s weird,” I went closer. “It always worked before.”

“Chihiro, wait!”

My hand burned when I touched the handle, trapped in place as power swept through me. I was thrown back, slamming against the wall.

“Chihiro!”

He knelt beside me, taking me in his arms. I was barely conscious, my vision swimming with black spots. They started gathering, one thought on my mind as I passed out.

We couldn’t leave. We were prisoners.

 

“That was a foolish thing to do.”

I rubbed my eyes. A shadow floated above me, narrowed eyes gazing down at me.

“What do you mean?”

“I brought you here to protect you. Why would you wish to leave that?”

“Khan said he’d never been outside. I wanted to show him what it was like.”

“He knows all he needs about the outside world; there is no reason to see it.”

I sat up. The figure was drifting closer to the ceiling, as though to prevent me from seeing them.

“You’re the lord of this palace, aren’t you?” I asked. “The one keeping us prisoner.”

“How dare you,” a tongue of flame flickered from their mouth. “You’ve been under my protection since you entered the forest, yet you say I’ve been keeping you prisoner?”

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” I lied. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me; I just didn’t know I wouldn’t be able to leave.”

“The oni are closer than you think,” they floated down again. “Leaving this place would put you in danger.”

“I understand,” I lowered my head, hoping I sounded sincere. “I won’t try to leave again.”

“Who are you talking to?”

Khan was standing by the door, holding a tray. He’d made a habit out of bringing me breakfast in bed. I looked at the ceiling; the shadow was gone.

“Someone was floating up there,” I told him. “I think it was your lord.”

“How do you know?”

“He was upset that we tried to leave when he was trying so hard to protect us.”

He set the tray in my lap, sitting on the edge of the bed. His bangs were swept to one side, revealing a fresh cut near his left eye.

“What happened?”

“I found Fawn wandering the halls,” he touched it. “She didn’t like it when I tried taking her back to her room.”

“Is she still afraid of me?”

“I don’t know, she was babbling. She was probably sleepwalking.”

I took a spoonful of the cinnamon porridge. Delicious as it was, I was starting to get a little tired of it.

“Is something wrong?”

“Not really,” I grimaced, putting the spoon down. He’d put in too much cinnamon. “I’m just not hungry right now.”

“We should probably try the potion today; there might be something we’re missing.”

“Okay,” I set the tray aside, getting on my hands and knees. “But only if we do more than kiss from now on.”

He chuckled, tucking my hair behind my ear.

“You have my word.”

 

He shifted, kissing my cheek. The spell had lasted for hours, allowing us an in-depth search of my memories.

“I think we’ll need to do it a few more times,” he said deviously. “In case I missed something.”

“You had everything you needed a long time ago, didn’t you?” I turned on my side, propping myself up with my elbow.  “You just did the rest because you fell for me.”

He laughed, putting his hands behind his head.

“Maybe.”

I rolled my eyes; when had he gotten so cocky?

“I already told you what happened in the library,” I said. “What did you get out of this?”

He sat up, the blanket falling to his waist. Khan was one of those skinny guys with a six-pack, something I’d always found attractive.

“It gave me a clearer understanding of what happened,” he turned to me. “Do you have any idea why he called you hime?”

I shook my head.

“I thought he was just mocking me.”

“It might have something to do with your family history,” he grabbed his pants from the floor. I watched him get dressed, asking why he didn’t just use a spell.

“Magic doesn’t work on cloth,” he explained. “Most spirits wear silk because it’s particularly resistant.”

“Why doesn’t magic affect cloth?” I knelt on the floor. We must’ve kicked my clothes under the bed at some point. I’d just bent to get them when the door opened, Fawn coming in without knocking.

“Good, you’re awake,” she sounded almost breathless. Khan sighed.

“Common courtesy is lost on you, I see.”

“There’s no time. The lord’s brought someone; he’s hurt pretty bad.”

“Alright, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She left. I sat up, holding my wrinkled clothes to my chest.

“Does your lord bring wounded spirits here often?”

“No. It has to be serious if he took the time,” he turned to me. “You head to the library. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”


	15. Back from the War

He’d been gone for hours. The warmly-lit chamber that served as the library was starting to get boring. Who was the spirit, and how injured were they? I glanced at the door, wondering if I should leave and search for them. As soon as I did, it sailed open, Khan looking bloodied and scared.

“It was even worse than I thought,” he sat on a low stool. “I still don’t know if we did enough.”

“What do you mean?” I sat next to him. “Spirits can’t be killed, can they?”

“It’s pretty hard, but it can happen,” he gave a small smile. “Especially if you have the right kind of magic.”

I looked at him, wondering what he was going on about. He touched one of the stains on his sleeve, his fingers briefly glowing white. The blood seemed to melt out of his clothes, pooling in a sizzling puddle and evaporating. He sat back, as though it had exhausted him.

“Never thought I’d have to use that spell,” he muttered. He glanced sidelong at me; what was up with him?

“Are you okay?” I asked hesitantly. He was changing more and more lately, it was starting to worry me.

“Since cloth is resistant to magic it takes a lot to  clean it,” he pushed his hair back from his face. “I’ll be fine.”

“No, I mean, you look and act so different than when I first saw you. You’re almost a whole different person.”

It was true. His hair and eyes had gotten darker, his face more defined. He’d gotten taller, muscular. He was more laid-back and sarcastic. Pretty much the only thing that hadn’t changed was his skin; silky smooth and a caramel tan.

“Spirits go through something similar to puberty, that is what humans call it, right?”

I nodded.

“But we go through it when we’re teenagers; wouldn’t it have already happened to you?”

“In the physical sense, yes, but we go through a sort of second one with our magic. That’s when it really affects us.”

I suddenly felt flirty. I leaned closer to him, brushing my hand along his leg.

“So, you not only look good, you’re more powerful, too?” I giggled. “What a combination…”

He didn’t blush like I thought he would. Instead, he swept me into his lap, whispering in the sexiest voice I’d ever heard.

“That’s not everything,” he chuckled. “I’d be glad to demonstrate some of my new skills, if you wanted.”

“Oh, please do,” I licked my lips. “I’m dying to see them.”

He kissed me, igniting sparks in my belly. I could feel my muscles clench, the sensation sweet and inviting. His hands travelled down my body, squeezing my butt. He’d never done that before.

“Khan,” I gasped, unable to believe what he was doing to me. He bit my lip, the tip of his tongue gliding across the spot. His teeth had gotten sharper, too. I let him in, the sparks being fanned into a blaze. I brought his braid over his shoulder, undoing the ties and running my hands through his hair. It was thicker than I thought, wonderfully soft. He pulled away a second later, his eyes practically on fire.

“I don’t want Fawn seeing us like this,” he said roughly. His arms tightened around me, and the next thing I knew we were in my room.

“You’ve never done that before,” I said. He shrugged, then kissed me again.

“She’ll never think to look for us here.”

I pushed him on the bed, undoing the first few buttons of my dress. I hadn’t worn pants since I’d first woken up here. I pulled it off slowly, watching his reaction. He was leaning back, his hands fisted in the sheets. His pants hid it pretty well, but I could tell he was aroused.

“Like what you see?” I asked. I let the silk pool around my feet, stepping out and nudging his foot with mine. “Clothes are no longer allowed. Take them off.”

He obeyed, letting his haori fall to the floor. I took his shirt off myself, running my hands down a chest that had been bony just a few days earlier.

“Boy, magic puberty works fast,” I blushed. He laughed, grabbing my waist and switching our positions. I undid his pants as he leaned over me, moaning as he traced a nail down my side.

“Oh, Khan, stop torturing me,” I writhed in pleasurable agony as he rubbed my hip. “Please…ah!”

I hadn’t expected him to answer so quickly. There were no words to describe what he did to me, other than it was more amazing than anything we’d done before. He brushed a lock of sweaty hair from my cheek, claiming my lips and silencing my frenzied cry. I answered him happily, my fingers trailing to where his thighs touched mine.

“Get ready, Chihiro,” he said hotly. “This might-”

He never finished, the words consumed by a sound I never thought I’d hear from him. The growl echoed around us, reminding me this hot as hell man wasn’t human.

“A-Are you a dragon?” I could barely breathe, wincing when he moved again. My head was locked between his forearms, his kiss gracing my lips once more before he answered.

“I’m a panther, though I’ve never transformed before.”

He pulled out, sitting on the bed and taking me in his lap again. I rested my head on his shoulder, exhausted and endlessly satisfied.

“Then how do you know?”

“My father was a panther,” he touched my cheek. “Our mother was a leopard, like Fawn.”

“Did you ever know your parents?” I asked. He shook his head.

“I just know what the lord has told us.”

We sat there in silence for a moment, enjoying the fading afterglow. I wanted to ask him about round two when he turned to the door, looking like he knew something I didn’t.

“Something’s wrong,” he said urgently, a little reluctantly. I got to my feet, clasping my hands to keep from reaching for him. I’d never hated and enjoyed watching someone dress so much. He kept his hair down, flashing a smile as he walked to the door.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I lay back when he left, holding a pillow to my chest. The room was comfortably warm, the ceiling misty as ever. Where was this castle anyway? Was it anywhere near the bathhouse?

“The bathhouse!”

I shot up. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d thought about it, and now images of Haku flooded my mind. I clutched the pillow, a sickening pain spreading through my chest. How could I have forgotten him so easily? Was he the wounded spirit they were tending to?

I threw the pillow aside, grabbing my dress and yanking it on. I heard tearing, but at the moment I didn’t really care. I rushed out almost before I’d finished buttoning it, stopping only when I reached a branch in the hallway. They were arched like the doors, the same glimmering brown that reminded me of magic. I could hear voices coming from the left, following them to the study. The door was cracked open, offering me a thin view.

“You shouldn’t be up yet,” Fawn was saying. “It’s way too early!”

“These wounds won’t bother me for long,” it was Haku, sounding strained. “Where’s Chihiro?”

“She’s resting,” Khan’s tone was sharp. “That “protection” spell you cast really did a number on her.”

“She tried to leave?”

“I told her I’d never been outside; why didn’t you tell me you’d trapped us here?”

“I thought you would’ve realized it; the last battle wasn’t far from this place.”

“Oh, I realized it, alright,” Khan sounded like he wanted to strangle Haku. “But not soon enough. You almost killed her!”

“I know, but you won’t have to worry anymore,” there was a short pause. “I’m taking her back to the human world.”

“Nice thing to do to someone you almost killed.”

They turned. I stood in the doorway, holding the coldest expression I could manage. Fawn yelped, cowering behind Khan, who gazed at me in shock. My eyes fell on Haku, who was sitting in a plush, high-backed chair, dressed in a simple robe. His hair was longer, pulled back in a high, messy ponytail. His eyes widened when he saw me, his face growing pale.

“Ch-Chihiro?” his voice was a raspy whisper. “Is that you?”

“Yes,” I stayed where I was. “And I heard everything.”

“Every…”

He stood, walking toward me. The robe slipped from his shoulder, revealing stained bandages. I put a hand on his chest, keeping him at arm’s length.

“Yes, everything,” I didn’t hide my anger. “Why bring me here if you were just going to send me away?”

“You don’t understand,” he grabbed my wrist, his strength diminished by his injuries. “I’m doing it to protect you. It’s too dangerous here!”

“And the human world isn’t?” I ripped my arm away. “That place is a worse hell than anything this world could throw at me!”

“Chihiro, please, will you just-”

“No, “Lord Haku”, you listen,” I was furious. I couldn’t believe he’d do this to me. “The human world is more disgusting than you could ever know. We rape, murder, sometimes even eat our own kind, and it has nothing to do with survival. Humans are a deprived and twisted race I’m ashamed to be part of. I came here to escape from all that, and I’d rather burn alive than go back to it!”

I stopped, my chest heaving. I knew they couldn’t believe what they’d just seen, it was written all over their faces. The quiet, unassuming human claiming to hate her own kind, saying she’d do anything to keep from going back. The moment the last word left my lips, I wanted to disappear, but I wasn’t going to let him see that.

“Is that really how you feel?” he looked at me. I nodded.

“It’s the way I’ve felt for a long time,” I admitted. “Ever since I first left this world.”

Hearing that, I hoped he’d allow me to stay, or at least give me a choice.

“I’ve been in the human world more than you think, Chihiro, and while those things do happen, it’s still nothing compared to what occurs here. You can return once it’s clear this war is over, when the last of the oni are dead.”

“And what if I die before then? What will you do?”

“I’ll find you; simple as that.”

The cool glint in his eye reminded me of when I’d seen him in Yubaba’s office, after I’d signed the contract, his tone the same as when he’d snapped at me in the elevator. I scoffed, realizing he’d never give in.

“If that’s what you want, fine,” I turned my back to him. “I’ll go.”

I grabbed Khan’s hand, making it a point to kiss him.

“Oh, and forget what I said about never losing me,” I rested my cheek on Khan’s chest. “You already did.”

Haku looked like a fish out of water. I smirked, throwing a small wave over my shoulder as I left the room. I didn’t hear the scream until it was too late.


	16. The Third Secret

I was trapped. Fawn set down the large jug, smiling crazily.

“There, now you’ll never get out.”

She’d jumped me from behind when I’d tried to leave, fighting the boys off easily as she dragged me with her. The door had been locked with a spell, and judging from how long she’d rested after, it was a powerful one. She’d thrown me in a shallow tub that wasn’t much longer than I was, dumping in jug after jug of a green liquid that had turned quickly into a thick gel. I could barely breathe, let alone move.

“Fawn…” I panted. “W-Why are you doing this?”

“I knew something was wrong with you the moment I saw you,” her laugh was hysterical. “What happened in the library proved it.”

“You arranged for that happen?”

“All I did was tell Taizai where you were,” she said innocently. “He’s been looking for you since you left this world.”

I gaped at her. How could she betray me like this?

“I thought we were friends, Fawn,” I wasn’t going to cry now; I wasn’t! “Why would you do this to me?”

“Friends? Please,” she shook her head. “I was using you from the start, and you were too dim to notice!”

That feeling from the library started to fill me again. I could feel the pain of the changes, even if I couldn’t see them. I knew now the gel was stealing my energy; it stopped as quickly as it began. It left me even more exhausted than before, my eyes drooping shut as often as I threw them open.

“Aw, feeling a little tired, are we?” her voice was thick with mocking sympathy. She went to the large table by one of the statues. “Don’t worry, this’ll wake you up.”

From what I could see, she was grinding herbs and mixing them in a bowl. She took a needle and stabbed her ring fingers, letting blood from both hands drip into the mixture. I’d heard about it in mythology; adding blood to any potion increased its power tenfold. When she came over I realized the bowl was opal. So that’s what she was doing.

“You think I’m a demon?” I could barely talk. Anything in contact with opal became fatal to demons. “That’s crazy; I’m human!”

“Mostly human,” she set the bowl in front of me. “That’s what no one else knows about you. You’re just as bad as the rest of them.”

She grabbed my chin, holding the bowl to my lips. I knew better than to resist, choking down the bitter, chunky mess. I tried not to gag, feeling a hot tingle in the back of my throat. If I was part demon, it would’ve started burning me by now.

“You have less than I thought,” she set the bowl down. “Or you’re good at hiding pain.”

“Are you trying to make me admit something?” I asked. “Or are you just torturing me for kicks?”

“Mostly the second one,” she rubbed her hands together. “It’s been a long time since I got to play with prisoners!”

What the heck was going on here? Fawn had been amazing before; fun-loving, silly, but now she was completely nuts. Had seeing me with Taizai messed her up that much? She was back at the table, looking things over with twisted interest.

“Ah, perfect.”

She picked up a plain scabbard, drawing a curved sword. A snake with a gaping mouth was etched on both sides of the blade, the tip split in two. I wanted to fight against the gel, but I had nothing left.

“Fawn, you don’t want to do this,” I said calmly as I could manage. She looked at me.

“Of course I do. Why else would I do all this?!”

She motioned to the chamber. Unlike the rest of the palace, this room was a hexagon, a black statue placed in each corner. They looked like Noface, though sinister and warped.

“What do you want from me?” the gel had gotten thicker, if it were possible. “Why am I trapped in this?”

“I have to make sure you can’t move,” she ran a finger along the sword’s edge. “So you don’t fight when I cut your powers out of you.”

“My what? Fawn, that’s ridiculous! I don’t have any powers!”

“You’ll see what I mean when I slice it out of you,” she held the sword over my stomach. The blade started vibrating, letting out a piercing note. “And it looks like I found it.”

Was she really about to cut me open? I gulped, gathering what breath I could. I was going to scream, hoping at least one of the boys would hear it.

“Don’t bother,” she seemed to read my mind. “Even if they did hear you, they’d never get past the door. The spell will incinerate anyone who touches it.”

“Is that so?”

She turned, gasping harshly.

“You! But how did—I cast a—“

“You forget,” Haku held up his hand, droplets dancing around his fingers. “Water beats fire.”

“Regardless, you’re too late,” she raised the sword over her head. “I’ve already gotten what I want.”

I braced for the cut I knew would kill me, tears filling my eyes as I imagined Khan and Haku crying for me. I barely registered the growl when I heard it, giving a cry of relief as a black streak charged into her.

“Khan!”

He’d transformed, a sleek panther larger than any in the human world. He crouched by the tub as Fawn staggered to her feet; but instead of groaning, she was laughing.

“Finally did it, huh, big brother?” she shook her head. “You always were a late bloomer.”

She changed into a leopard, the beauty of her pelt marred by scars and patches of bare skin. Khan stood his ground, slashing at her with his claws. She dodged, baring sharp teeth in a mocking smile. The tip of her tail brushed against the surface of the gel, close enough I could’ve bitten it if I’d wanted to. Haku knelt next to me after she leapt away, waving a hand over the tub. The gel turned soft again, allowing me to get out.

“Are you alright, Chihiro?”

“I will be,” I leaned against him, loving how warm he was. Then I looked, realizing what it was. “You’re bleeding again…”

“I’ll be fine,” he cupped my face with one hand, his other arm under my shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Chihiro. I never meant for this to happen.”

“I’m not dying, Haku,” I said sleepily. “Besides, it’s not like you caused all this.”

He still looked guilty. I turned to watch the fight, feeling the quickness of his breath. I knew he wanted to help, that he was too wounded to do anything. I could barely stay awake, my vision blurring as Khan was thrown against the wall, reverting back to his human form. Fawn changed as well, picking up the sword he’d made her drop.

“You’re so pathetic,” she sneered. He struggled to get to his feet; how hard had she thrown him? She went over and grabbed his collar, yanking him up like he was made of paper. “Lowly spirits like you don’t deserve to live.”

Khan screamed, the sound colliding with mine as she stabbed him in the stomach. She let him writhe on the blade before pulling it out, shoving him to the floor like a piece of trash. I’m not sure where it came from, but the burst of energy I felt was enough for me to push away from Haku, running to Khan and dropping to my knees. I took his head in my lap, pressing my hand to the wound in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.

“Oh, Khan,” I was sobbing. I couldn’t believe it; how could Fawn do this to him? He smiled, taking my hand.

“You don’t have to worry,” he said soothingly.  “Spirits are hard to kill, remember?”

I was still worried. He was bleeding heavily, his grip already weakening. I bent down and kissed him, not knowing how many more times I’d get the chance.

“How sweet,” Fawn stood over us, sword still in hand. “Too bad it won’t last much longer.”

Khan growled, his eyes turning yellow.

“You’ll never win,” he said scathingly. Her grin faltered slightly, vanished when she heard the harsh voice behind her.

“You’ve disappointed me for the last time, Fawn.”

It was the lord, his lined face hard with anger. She gasped, becoming tearful.

“Please, my lord, let me explain,” she pointed to me. “That human is related to the one who caused all this; she has his powers. She can’t be allowed to live!”

“Your blood isn’t so innocent,” the tall man replied flatly. He tucked long, slender hands into his trailing sleeves. “You have no authority to judge the pureness of hers.”

“I know where the source of her powers lies,” she was begging. “If you will allow me, I will gladly give it to you!”

“Silence!” his voice rang out in the chamber. “I have put up with your foolishness for far too long. You no longer have my protection.”

He turned to Haku.

“Kohaku, you may do with her as you please. I place her life in your hands.”

“Yes, my lord,” he bowed his head, glaring at Fawn from the corner of his eye. He waited until the lord had left before turning to her, revealing eyes that had turned as yellow as Khan’s.

“You really think you’re a match for me, don’t you?” Fawn gave that shrieking laugh again. “You’re barely holding a shell of your former power, you can’t stop me!”

“I made you,” Haku said angrily. He held out his hands. “And I can kill you just as easily.”

Fawn’s laugh faded as quickly as it had started. The soft light around his hands had bloomed into a white orb of magic, blue lightning erupting from the surface. It wasn’t any bigger than his palms, yet I could feel the power from across the room. I bowed over Khan’s head, clutching his shirt as the orb sunk seamlessly into Fawn’s chest. She stepped back, staring wordlessly at the growing hole in her dress. In a few seconds her skin had burned away, revealing her heart beating rapidly behind smoldering ribs. She dropped to her knees, staring up at Haku, her expression a mix of hatred, disbelief and pain.

“H-How’s it feel,” she said weakly. “K-Knowing…you killed your own daughter?”

“After what I’ve seen you do,” his voice had gone flat. “I feel nothing.”

She smiled, a single tear falling from her eye.

“I knew you’d say that.”

She fell over, breathing another minute before lying still. Haku stood over her, cold as ever. I’m not sure what I expected, but it couldn’t live up to what I saw. Fawn’s body changed into a mass of orange light, which flowed into his open mouth. Then he turned to us, looking a bit more feline than usual.

“I never wanted it to come to this,” he came toward us, scooping up the sword as he did. “But I guess it couldn’t be helped.”

He looked down at it, dropping it like it burned.

“It can’t be,” he said haltingly. “I destroyed this.”

I helped Khan to his feet, struggling with his weight as he leaned against me.

“What are you waiting for, Haku?” I asked. “We need to take care of Khan!”

“You don’t understand,” he picked up the sword again. “This blade is called Suneku, and it’s supposed to be fatal to spirits.”


	17. Song of Parting

We managed to stop the bleeding. Haku and I carried Khan to his room when we were done, as he’d gotten too weak to walk. I was about to leave when he took my hand, saying he wanted me to stay with him.

“I don’t know how much longer I might have,” he groaned in pain. “I want to spend every minute I can with you.”

I sat on the edge of his bed, trying not to cry. He didn’t need to see me like that. He gazed at me, smiling.

“You’re so beautiful.”

“So I’ve been told,” I looked away, feeling guilt gnaw at me. “I’m sorry, Khan.”

“Don’t be,” he groaned again, and I knew he was trying to push himself up. “You did nothing wrong.”

“It’s just like with Haku,” I bit my lip. “That warning spirit in the bathhouse. If I hadn’t come here, she wouldn’t have had any reason to hurt you.”

“Stop it,” he took my hand. “The past doesn’t matter right now, and neither does the future. All I care about is now, being with you.”

“Humans are programmed to think about the future,” I tucked some hair behind my ear. “We don’t have forever like spirits do.”

His grip tightened, the slight tug enough to pull me to him. I laid my head on his shoulder, careful to avoid his wound. He chuckled, gazing at the bandages.

“I’ve never been bound up like this before.”

“It’s another human thing,” I smiled slightly. “We don’t heal quickly, either.”

We were quiet for a while, then I started humming. It was an old song my mom had used for a lullaby. I’d always found it comforting, even more when he started singing it.

“Mother once said to me, many nights ago, a spirit’s light will defend…”

“Of course you can sing,” I blushed. He laughed.

“I’d love to hear you.”

I bit my lip, remembering the reaction last time someone had heard me.

“Father said one day, there is more for you to know, a human’s light will stand…”

“You’re too quiet,” he brushed my bangs aside. “Don’t be so unsure of yourself.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath before going on.

“Two lights together, far too soft alone, now will combine, and the night will go…”

I stopped, signaling he should continue.

“Fly, my child, fly, fly to wonder now, to save our memory, the time of love remains.”

“How do you know that song?” I asked. He sighed wistfully.

“Our mother sang it to us. She brought Fawn and I here after our father disappeared.”

“That reminds me,” I swallowed. “Fawn asked Haku how it felt to kill his own daughter. Does that mean he’s…”

“He must be. Power absorption only happens when a parent kills their child. In fact, that’s the reason some spirits even have children.”

I remembered what Lin said about Haku being moody after I left, how destructive and angry he’d been. Was this why? The thought didn’t upset me as much as I thought I would, though it did bring some questions to mind.

“I’d only been gone for eight years. If you guys were born after I left, shouldn’t you still be kids?”

“If we were part human, that’s how it would work,” he shifted. “Full-blooded spirits age more quickly than humans do, at least while they’re children.”

“Let me guess, once you’re adults you practically stop aging, right?”

“Pretty much.”

I looked at his bandages. The blood was dry, and he already seemed stronger than before. Was it possible Haku was wrong about Suneku? I prayed to every god or goddess I’d ever heard of, hoping at least one of them would let Khan live. The desire to cry hit me again; this time I couldn’t hold back. I buried my face in his shoulder, bawling uncontrollably. He held me, tilting my head back and kissing me.

“You lips are so soft when you cry,” he whispered. “But I hate seeing you cry.”

“I can’t help it,” I wiped my eyes. “I’m going to lose the one I love all over again; I can’t take it anymore…”

“Chihiro, listen to me,” he was serious. “Even if I’m gone, I’ll still be with you. Remember that.”

“I…I promise,” I sniffled. “It won’t make me miss you any less, though.”

“I know,” he hugged me tightly. “You should get some rest; you’ve been through a lot today.”

“What about you? What if—”

“I’ll be here in the morning,” he assured me. “It’ll take more than a sword to get rid of me.”

I wiped my eyes again, slipping my fingers through his. I don’t know how I managed to fall asleep, but I did, dreaming of the future I could have with him. I reached a point where he stroked my cheek, brushing his lips lightly against mine. It was my favorite part of the dream, even more when he whispered what I’d been longing to hear. I woke up happy, looking beside me. Only to find that he wasn’t there.

I looked around, seeing a pile of stained gauze where he’d laid the night before. Where was he? Why had he taken them off? Then I knew. The feather light touch, the soft kiss. That hadn’t been a dream. It had been Khan, saying goodbye. I clutched his bandages, sobbing as his last words echoed in my head.

_I love you, Chihiro…_


	18. Back in the Human World

Haku took me home the next day. The gate my parents and I had stumbled upon had been sealed after we’d left, as if to make sure no one else would find it. He’d transported us through the stream in my garden, which wasn’t overgrown, surprisingly.

“I was starting to miss this place,” I ran my hand along the edge of the shrine, wondering if I should knock the river stone off or not. I glanced at him over my shoulder, careful to keep my face blank.

“Thanks for bringing me back,” I almost sounded snappish. “You don’t have to hang around, you know.”

“I wanted to apologize for everything,” he said. “I never meant for things to get out of hand.”

“Why did you take me there in the first place?”

“I’m not sure how it happened,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “One minute, I was sitting on the bank, the next I was standing in front of the bathhouse. You were lying next to me, unconscious.”

He ran a hand along the trunk of a weeping willow, watching as the branches trailed in the current.

“I should get going,” he looked at me. “If you ever want to come back, I’ll…”

He trailed off, leaning in to kiss me. I pushed him away.

“Maybe someday, but not now,” I glared tiredly at him. “I can barely stand to look at your face.”

That hit a soft spot. He sighed, stepping into the stream and holding out his hands.

“I deserve that. Good-bye, Chihiro.”

He melted into the water, a soft white glow that sped away just as quickly as it had formed. I suddenly wondered where the stream went, making a mental note to follow it if I ever felt like seeing him again.

“Good-bye, Kohaku.”

I picked up the tray I’d left on the stone. The food had been picked clean by animals, the tea a smelly mess from sitting in the pot for so long. My house looked the same, aside from the layers of dust on everything. I took as long as I could to clean, taking out every emotion I could think of; anger, grief, heartbreak, betrayal. When it was done, I collapsed on my bed, content to stay there for the rest of my life.

 _I should’ve come back earlier,_ I thought. _Then none of this would’ve happened._

I’d been in the spirit world for months, if not a year or more. The sky was overrun with migrating birds, their calls cutting through the silence I was longing for. I slipped on my headphones, one of the last presents I’d received, smiling as the noise fell into a low murmur.

 

“Chihiro?”

I pulled off the headphones, not sure if I’d fallen asleep or not. The sun had dipped out if sight, leaving me with a view of a crescent moon. The voice had sounded far away and close at the same time, like an echo.

“Is anyone here?”

“I’m coming!”

Had someone from town come to check up on me? I didn’t go very often, but maybe they’d noticed I was missing? A tall woman with brown hair stood in my living room, watching me with the barest hint of a smile on her face.

“Lin?” I blinked, almost pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see how you were doing,” her grin widened slightly. “You-know-who also wanted me to check on you.”

“How are you even here? I thought spirits couldn’t stay in this world.”

“You know that rock you keep on your shrine?” she pointed a thumb to the window overlooking my garden. I nodded. “Well, his river flowed into my lake, so now that stone’s part of us both.”

“So you can be here as long as you stay near it?”

“Yeah, though I can’t go as far from it as he can; I’m probably at the edge just standing here.”

As if to prove it, her fingers started becoming transparent. She stepped back, and the effect stopped. She touched a small vase sitting on the windowsill. A single flower rested in it, lovely and vibrant despite how long the vase had been dry.

“I never thought I’d see one of these,” she commented. “I thought ocean blossoms were a myth. Where’d you find it?”

“It was growing in the cherry tree over the shrine,” I said. I’d picked the flower long ago, before Haku had come. The soft blue petals had reminded me of Lin for some reason; guess now I knew why. I watched her admire it a while longer, then asked a question that had just started burning my tongue. “Why are you really here?”

She looked at me, seemingly hurt, then sighed.

“Haku didn’t send me,” she admitted. That much I’d known; it had barely been a day. “But I did want to see you. There’s something I think you should know.”

I made some hot chocolate for us, something I was quick to learn they didn’t have in the spirit world. I also filled a sugar bowl with tiny marshmallows, a guilty pleasure of mine. She set her cup down after burning her tongue several times, breathing through her mouth to try and cool it.

“Okay, I swore I’d never say this, but seeing what happened, you deserve to hear it.”

“Hear what?” I stirred several marshmallows into my cocoa, setting it aside so they melted. “Was he lying about something?”

“In a way. You know that palace you woke up in after you went to Zeniba’s?”

“How did you know about that?”

“Because I’ve been there before. There is no lord. That palace is Haku’s.”

For the better part of two hours, I was sure my jaw had been glued to the floor. I’d known from the start he was keeping something from me, but I never thought it would be so much. Haku had lived in that palace long before Yubaba had found him, before his river had been filled in. He hadn’t looked like a twelve-year-old, she explained, saying he’d reverted to maintain his powers after his connection to my world was severed. She also said he’d gone to Yubaba so he’d have a purpose, as most spirits that didn’t faded from existence.

“He knew the price he had to pay to work for her, but he was willing to lose part of his name if it meant staying alive. Little did he realize that wasn’t all she was planning to take from him.”

By this point, the moon had risen to the middle of the sky, yet Lin showed no signs of slowing down.

“She’d taken his power piece by piece. Once he realized what had happened, it was already too late. His memory faded, and soon he was no different than the rest of us.”

“Why would she do that?” I felt stupid for even asking it.

“She felt threatened is all I can come up with. Haku was more powerful than her by a long shot; I’m surprised she didn’t try taking his fortune as well.”

I fought back a yawn, taking a sip of my now chilled cocoa.

“As much as I wanted to know how he ended up there, I don’t see how it has anything to do with—”

“I’m getting to that,” she quipped. “Anyway, Haku realized the palace was the only place you’d really be safe, so he cast a cloaking spell on it and created Khan and Fawn.”

“He…created them? So he wasn’t their father?”

“He was, in a way. Khan was born from his feelings for you, which is why you fell for each other so quickly. I’m not too sure about Fawn, though, at least not why she went crazy. You’ll have to ask him about that.”

“If he wanted to protect me so much, why didn’t he just leave me at the bathhouse?”

“It acts like a kind of…hospital, I think that’s what you call it, during war times. I guess he thought it’d be too much for you, plus he didn’t want to risk you getting kidnapped.”

I sat back. Boy, was this a lot to take in. It explained a lot, but one thing still nagged at me.

“Why didn’t he tell me what was going on? Why keep it a secret?”

“He didn’t mean to, but he was called to the front before he had a chance to explain everything to you.”

“And he tried to tell me, before everything with Fawn, but I was so mad I didn’t want to hear it.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” she leaned forward, putting a hand on my knee. I smiled slightly, a last thought popping into my head.

“I’m guessing the lord was another of his illusion things?”

“You got it.”

I bit back another yawn. How late had it gotten? She looked sympathetic, then laughed.

“I didn’t mean to keep you up so long. Why don’t we finish this tomorrow?”

“I’d like that,” I giggled. “And there’s somewhere I want to take you.”


	19. Shopping Spree

“So, what do you do?”

Lin was standing in front of the mirror, looking over her shoulder to see the back of the jacket she wore. A silky black shirt and tight jeans were draped over the chair next to her.

“What do you mean?”

“Those places were pretty pricy,” she shrugged out of the jacket. “How did you afford it?”

“Let’s just say Sen went on a few more adventures after she left the bathhouse.”

She gave me a weird look, then rolled her eyes.

“What gave you the idea to do that?”

“I had a lot of dreams after I left, about what might’ve happened if I’d stayed. Who knew they would’ve become best sellers?”

She dropped the clothes in her hands, looking distressed. She was shaking.

“Lin?”

I walked toward her, but she backed away.

“Your memory was supposed to be erased after you crossed over,” she sounded terrified, just like Fawn had. “The only way it could’ve stayed in tact is if you…oh no…”

“What?” I was getting scared now. “Lin, what is it?”

“We have to go back,” her back was pressed against the mirror. “They’ll be looking for you…”

“Who will-”

A black hand fell on my shoulder, colder than ice. Whoever it was turned me slowly around, shoving my chin back with the hilt of a sword.

“Chihiro Ogino.” The voice was demonic. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

I bit back the scream in my throat, lashing out into the darkness. I flipped on my lamp, tasting the sweat that ran down my face. What the heck was that? A dream? A nightmare? Some kind of warning? It took a while, but I managed to catch my breath. As usual, my hair had fallen out of the ponytail I kept it in, brown strands hanging limply over my eyes. The hair tie glimmered on my pillow, just like always. I turned off my lamp, realizing sunlight was streaming in through the window. The air smelled sweet and bitter at the same time.

Lin was in the kitchen, comically trying to keep a pot from boiling over. I turned down the burner while her back was turned, moving next to the fridge so she wouldn’t see me.

“Man, this cooking stuff is harder than it looks,” she flipped through a cookbook on the table. “Hope I can get through it without burning her place down.”

“I take it this wasn’t in your job description?”

She jumped, glaring at me when I laughed.

“Don’t do that to me,” she complained. “But I never cooked before, to answer your question.”

I turned off the stove, moving the pot to another burner. I wasn’t sure what was in it, but it smelled good enough.

“How long have you been awake?” I remembered how late we’d been up last night. She shrugged, looking through my spice rack and grabbing the cinnamon.

“Only an hour or so; spirits don’t need as much sleep as humans.”

She went to the teapot, sprinkling cinnamon in the water before adding a tea bag.

“Haku did this for me once,” she put the lid on. “I thought it was weird, too, but then I got hooked on it.”

I’ll admit, cinnamon in jasmine tea was pretty good; it went perfectly with the almond and blueberry porridge she’d whipped up.

“Are you sure you never cooked before?” I dug into my second bowl. “This is great!”

“I never cooked without a recipe in front of me,” she corrected herself. “Even then, Haku’s done it more than I have.”

I stared at her over my spoon, hanging in the air halfway to my mouth. She rolled her eyes.

“Come on, you didn’t think he started out being Yubaba’s second-in-command, did you?”

“Actually, I did,” I put the spoon down. “You mean he was a kitchen hand before that?”

“You kidding? He moved from job to job so quickly I’m surprised she didn’t turn him into coal or something. That loop went on for years before she ‘promoted’ him. By then, he’d already forgotten who he was and most of his power had been drained.”

I looked down at the bowl in my lap. I could barely comprehend what he, what hundreds of spirits, must’ve gone through. Having your memory, your very identity stripped away piece by piece, after already losing your home to creatures who didn’t even know you existed. The very thought made me sick to my stomach.

“I don’t even know who’s more evil,” I curled up slightly. “Yubaba, or humans. At least she gave spirits a home after we destroyed them.”

“Humans do it unknowingly, Yubaba didn’t. That’s what makes you different.”

“That doesn’t make it right,” I protested. I couldn’t believe how easily I’d gotten worked up lately, but knowing what’s happened, can you really blame me? She watched me pensively, stirring her tea with the tip of her finger.

“I need to stop saying things that’ll upset you,” she said at last. “Problem is, I have no idea what will and what won’t.”

“You’ll learn soon enough,” I got up, taking our empty bowls to the kitchen. I set them in the sink, making a mental note to wash them later. “For now, let’s forget about it. There’s still somewhere I want to take you.”

 

“Do you usually shop in places like this?”

We were in a popular clothing store downtown. It was on the expensive side, one of the places I reserved for special occasions.

“Not really. Most of what I own came from second-hand or antique shops.”

She looked at herself in the mirror. She’d traded in her salmon uniform for tight jeans and a crop top, things I’d bought on a whim and never worked up the courage to wear. My blood chilled slightly at her next question.

“So, what do you do?”

“Let’s just say Sen went on a few more adventures after her first trip.”

Her hands paused on the rack she’d been looking through. She glanced at me over her shoulder.

“The elders said you’d lose your memory after you left,” she informed me. “I guess the hair tie and river stone kept that from happening.”

“How’d you know about the hair tie?” I asked suspiciously.

“Boh told me he and Noface helped Zeniba make it for you, how it was supposed to be some kind of protection spell.”

“How is Boh doing?” I realized I hadn’t asked yet. She smiled.

“Worried sick about you, just like the rest of the bathhouse,” she giggled. “He actually asked Haku when you guys would have a baby so he’d have a real playmate.”

I couldn’t help it. The idea of Haku, flustered and stuttering as he tried to answer that question was too funny. I laughed until my sides hurt, wiping my eyes as Lin looked on in shock.

“Boh’s still a kid, so it’s natural he’d be curious about something like that,” I laughed again. “Even so, as much as I like Haku, I’m not ready to have kids, with him or anyone.”

She looked somewhat disappointed, hiding it by turning to the rack. She brought out a denim jacket with a set of wings emblazoned on the back, a small skull made of rhinestones on the front pocket.

“How do you think this’ll look?” she held it up to her body and looked in the mirror.

“You might want to get a smaller size,” I advised her. “You’d practically be swimming in that one.”

I’m not sure how long I sat there, watching Lin try on clothes like she’d never seen them before. Images from my nightmare drifted in uninvited, making me fidgety and nervous. Eventually, we moved away from the boutique and stopped for lunch at my favorite outdoor café.

“Are you feeling okay?” Lin asked after we’d ordered. I thought about lying, quickly dismissing it.

“I’m thinking about the dream that woke me up this morning. It started with us shopping and ended with me being grabbed by some kind of demon.”

“What did it look like?”

“It was made of black rocks, and had this big sword it threatened me with. It said it was waiting for me.”

She touched her chin, looking thoughtful.

“I have no idea what it might mean,” she said. “I’ve never heard of a demon with a description like that.”

“You think Haku might know?” I hadn’t wanted to think about going back yet, but it seemed like my best option. “If he’s as powerful as everyone says it shouldn’t be much of a problem for him.”

“He might, but there’s no guarantee; he’s still pretty young in spirit terms.”

Would Haku get upset with me if I showed up again so soon? I was surprised at how quickly I’d gotten over those feelings, like something inside had told me none of it was worth wasting time on. I fingered my glass as the server brought our food, barely tasting my dumpling soup as I gulped it down. I wasn’t really hungry, I needed an excuse to stop thinking, if just for a few minutes. Lin gazed at me from across the table, playing with the river stone pendent she wore around her neck. She’d made sure to eat before we left, though she’d insisted on wearing it, just in case the food wasn’t enough. I swallowed my last mouthful, wiping my face with my napkin.

“It may be too early to go back,” I said. “But I feel like there isn’t much choice.”

I downed the rest of my ice water, loving the cold that flowed to my stomach.

“Someone’s been trying to tell me something, probably from the start. All I have to do now is find out what, who and why.”

She looked uneasy, then sighed.

“Give us a few weeks,” she lowered her voice. “I want to make sure this war is over before I take you back.”

“That works,” I nodded. “I have a few things to take care of, anyway.”


	20. Bittersweet Ballad

Those few weeks turned into six months. During that time, I went about my life like nothing had happened, finishing my next book and finally having the yard sale I’d thought about the past year. Strangely enough, no one in town asked where I had gone, or why I’d left for so long. Instead, they acted like it was a normal occurrence, me disappearing for extended periods. I added up the time since I’d left, mortified to discover it had been almost two years.

“Two years?” I could scarcely believe it. That long away from home and no one bothered to look for me? Granted, I had become a bit of a hermit, but I was in town often enough they should’ve noticed I wasn’t there anymore. I sighed, realizing it didn’t really matter. A paper bird had slipped through my window the night before, saying Lin would come get me this afternoon. I’m not really sure why I packed, guess I wanted a few things of my own in case I decided to stay permanently. I just hoped I’d be able to.

The last thing I grabbed was a stuffed animal I’d made in home ec class. It was a foot-long replica of Haku in his dragon form. I’d used a soft, shiny fabric for most of it, hoping to recreate how his scales looked in sunlight. His eyes were two tiny green jewels I’d salvaged from a pair of broken earrings. The biggest challenges had been finding the right material for his mane and tail, as well as the details on his horns and feet. The teacher had taken one look at it and entered me in the town art show. Suffice it to say I’d tied for second place. My sudden arrival in the spirit world was the first time I’d stayed away from home without it.

_Just hope no one laughs if they see it._

The rest of my backpack was filled with my favorite clothes and art supplies; my sketchbook, sewing kit and about a dozen charcoal pencils. I’d never colored anything I’d drawn before, even though I practically had a closet full of acrylic paints I’d collected over the years. The reason was most things I drew were things I’d seen in the spirit world and I knew I’d never be able to do them justice. I could never quite get the hang of shading, either, at least with anything more than a black pencil.

“That should do it,” I curled the straps over my shoulders, turning to the ocean blossom. I undid my ponytail, shaking my hair out so it fell around my shoulders. I tucked the flower behind my ear, wanting to keep it with me. “Guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

I went to the willow at the edge of the garden, sitting in the shade. I dipped my toes in the water, enjoying the coolness of it. The sun was already starting to set.

“Thought she would’ve been here by now,” I watched a small fish swim near my feet. It darted away at a large splash, and before I knew it I was melting into the water. It felt amazing, the beauty of the forest increased tenfold by the rippling surface above me. When I finally rematerialized, I was standing on the steps in front of the bathhouse. I’ll admit it was a little dizzying, and I sat down before I had a chance to faint.

“You might want this,” a pale hand held a rice cake in front of me. They weren’t my favorite, but I hadn’t eaten anything that day. I also didn’t want to look through my arms again.

“Thanks,” I nibbled on it. The voice was too deep to be Lin’s, but not quite deep enough to be Haku’s. I turned, screaming.

Taizai was smiling, his eyes burning with ill intent. He grabbed my wrist, yanking me to my feet.

“You should’ve stayed where you belong, hime,” he sneered at me. “Now I’ll have to show you what happens to humans who stay in this world.”

His mouth opened inhumanly wide, his teeth flashing in the lamplight. I struggled to break free; how could someone who was practically skin and bone be so strong? He grabbed my shirt, holding me to his chest as he tore into my shoulder. I could feel the blood soaking into my clothes, hear my frantic cries as they grew weaker. Was this what the warning spirit had come to me about? Was I the victim of the grave danger they’d sensed? I let my head fall back, resigned to my fate when he was suddenly ripped away. The pain was already fading, darkness closing around me. Someone shook me, their voice an echo as I slipped away.

“Chihiro!”

I gasped and screamed at the same time. Lin had a bruising grip on my arms, her eyes impossibly wide and terrified. I coughed, looking around frantically.

“W-Where is he?” I’d never heard my voice shake so much. I sounded hysterical. “H-How am I still alive?”

“What are you talking about?” Lin’s tone was a harsh, yet somehow gentle command. “Where’s who?”

“T-Taizai,” a hand rushed to my shirt. There was no blood, no tear, nothing to signify I’d been seriously wounded. “W-Was it all…just a dream?”

“I don’t know what you’re yammering about,” she put an arm around my shoulders. “But I’m taking you to the infirmary.”

* * *

I never would’ve thought spirits would need an infirmary. There was a row of futons on each side of a long, narrow room. A cat spirit in a purple robe guided me to one of them, helping me down into it. Lin had gone ahead to the kitchen, saying she’d bring a pot of the most soothing tea they had. I spent that time looking around, trying not to think about what had just happened. As usual, that didn’t work.

Why had he bitten me? Had I fainted from blood loss and this was all just some illusion? Had I just imagined it all? Lin took her time bringing the tea back, and by then I was a trembling, sobbing wreck. Boh was with her, looking even more frightened than she had.

“Chihiro!”

He ran ahead of her, jumping in my arms. He was shaking, just as terrified as I was. I held him tightly, wishing I could speak without my voice cracking.

“I’m sorry,” he gripped my shirt. “I didn’t know that rice cake was poisoned!”

“Poisoned?”

I looked at Lin, who was holding something wrapped in a piece of cloth. She dropped it on the floor, stepping back as it dissolved into purple smoke.

“It’s a twisted form of that dream potion Khan used,” she informed me. “One bite is enough to trap you with your worst fear.”

I ran a hand through Boh’s dark hair. He must’ve been the one to give me that rice cake, and when I’d turned to him the potion had made me see Taizai. I took his shoulders, prodding him gently to look at me.

“Do you remember who gave you that rice?” I asked softly. He nodded.

“One of the cooks gave it to me. He said Haku wanted me to give it to you when you got here.”

That narrowed it down, but not by much. I had no idea how many cooks were in this place. He hugged me again, almost suffocating me.

“Why’d you go?” he asked tearfully. “You didn’t even say goodbye!”

“I know, I’m sorry,” I rubbed his back, hoping it would calm him down. “I was really upset. I wasn’t thinking.”

He sniffed, wiping his eyes.

“You won’t leave again, will you?”

“I may have to,” I decided it was best if he knew the truth. “I’m human, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay, but if I do go, you have to be strong. Can you promise me that?”

He nodded, a hopeful light coming into his eyes.

“Chihiro, will you tell me a story?”

* * *

“They say if you listen hard enough, you can still hear them, especially when the sky is clear and the wind is blowing.”

Boh moaned sleepily, his arms wrapped around a stuffed monkey. I tucked the blanket further around him, unable to stop myself from kissing his forehead. Lin had left a little while ago, hanging the teapot over the dying fire to keep it warm. The padding had been stripped from Boh’s nursery, the round room transformed into a little boy’s. A narrow painting circled the wall, telling the story of how day and night had been created. A narrow bookshelf sat near the door, and from the amount of dust I could tell it was barely touched. The mountain of toys had dwindled, no doubt passed around to the children I’d seen in the bathhouse lately. I stood up, wishing I’d grabbed a pillow before kneeling on the wooden floor. I flipped the switch on the wall, watching the moon appear before drawing the curtains.

A man with a ponytail was on his knees by the fireplace, taking down the pot before stirring the fire back into life. He stood easily, looking my way when he felt my eyes on him. His eyes widened, a small gasp leaving his lips.

“Chihiro…”

“Haku,” I ran to him, hugged him, wishing I could stop crying. “I’m so sorry…”

“It’s my fault,” he pulled me away. “I should’ve told you what was going on from the start.”

“You tried to,” I gripped his shirt. “But I didn’t want to hear it. I’m just as much at fault.”

He smiled, tracing my cheek with his nail.

“I’ve spent all this time thinking about you,” his voice was soft, regretful. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” I said. “Why didn’t you come for me earlier?”

His face hardened, his hand stiffening on my back. The other tightened painfully on mine.

“Demons don’t give up easily,” he said. “No matter how many times we beat them, they kept coming back.”

“Is the war finally over?”

He shook his head.

“There’s no way to know for sure,” he twirled my hair with his finger. “I decided it’s not worth worrying about anymore. Besides, I think they’ve learned by now, going against me is a losing battle.”

I shook my head.

“I don’t want you turning a blind eye just because I’m here. What if they launch a surprise attack?”

He chuckled.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but it’s almost impossible to sneak up on this place.”

I thought about it. There were probably a hundred powerful spirits in the bathhouse at any time. Could they sense when danger was approaching? He looked at me quizzically.

“I know that’s not what you’re really curious about. You don’t have to be scared, Chihiro.”

“I’m not,” I flushed. “Why were you so cold to me after we left Yubaba’s office, then taking me to see my parents the next morning?”

“She was watching me,” he said simply. “I could only act like myself when she was asleep.”

“She wasn’t asleep when you found me,” I reminded him. “But you weren’t cold then.”

“I was sent to find you,” he admitted. “But she never specified what I had to do with you, so I did what I wanted.”

“That explains a lot,” I thought about something else that had been bothering me. “Kamajii and Boh told me she just vanished one day. Do you know where she went?”

“I wish I did,” he glanced toward Boh’s room. “I probably wouldn’t tell him, though. Kid’s been through enough with her.”

He sounded angry, reminding me how much he cared about Boh. I giggled, thinking about what Lin had told me. He rolled his eyes, as if he knew what was going through my head.

“It took me forever to figure out how to answer that question. I told him it might not be possible, since you were human.”

“Oh,” I couldn’t help sounding heartbroken. Since I’d first left, one of my dreams had been having his children. Hearing it, he put his arms around me again, kissing my temple.

“It’s a blessing just to have you in my life,” he said softly. “Anything beyond that is, well, a lot more than I deserve.”

His eyes shone when he said it, proving he meant every word.


	21. River Revisit

I sat on the riverbank, twirling the ocean blossom. The spotted blue petals were even more vibrant here, if that were possible. I'd snuck out just as the bathhouse was getting busy, dashing through the woods before anyone had a chance to see me.

_Has to be the first time I've been alone since I came back._

I fell, the soft grass cushioning me. I still hadn't figured out how I'd returned, wondering if it had something to do with what Khan had told me. My heart still clenched slightly when I thought of him, no matter how many times I told myself he'd just been part of Haku. Was that the only reason why? If it was, it didn't make any sense, but then not much did about this world.

I sat up again. When had that music started? It sounded close by, like it was just around the bend. I followed it, coming to a tree that had fallen over. The bank was sloped here, the river at its narrowest. The branches trailed in the water, partially blocking it. Haku sat on the trunk, leaning against the roots. He was staring into the distance, playing a flute. I didn't know the song, but it was high and sweet, purer than anything in the human world. He glanced at me, a sour note cutting in when he gasped in surprise.

"Chihiro," he was blushing. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to get out of the bathhouse for a while," I smirked. "Am I interrupting something?"

He sighed, sliding off the tree. He'd left his hair down today, making me notice how long it had gotten. It touched his shoulders, messier than usual from the wind.

"I wouldn't hear the end of it if Lin caught me playing this thing," he twirled the flute with his fingers.

"Why? I thought it was beautiful."

"It's just how she is," he said as if it explained everything. Then he changed the subject. "I heard that story you told Boh."

"Which one?" I'd told him a story every night for two weeks now.

"The first one. Where'd you hear it?"

"Oh, I read it in a book from the library," I wasn't about to tell him the truth. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I've just never heard a human tell it before. I didn't think they knew it."

"We know more than you think," I admonished jokingly. "Some of us build our careers around those old stories."

He hummed thoughtfully, brushing his hand over the ocean blossom. I'd tucked it behind my ear after I'd gotten up so I wouldn't drop it.

"It's been a long time since I saw one of these," he said. "Where'd you find it?"

"It was growing in the cherry tree in my garden, right over the shrine where I kept the river stone."

"How long ago was that?"

"A couple years ago now."

"And it still hasn't wilted?" he looked slightly distressed, but weirdly happy at the same time. "Interesting."

I knew he wouldn't tell me what he was thinking, so I cast about for another subject change. I looked at his chest, wondering how I hadn't noticed before.

"Haku, what are you wearing?"

He wore semi-tight jeans, a white t-shirt with a weird design, and a sleeveless black hoodie. I remembered seeing something like it in a store window. He laughed.

"You think you were the first humans to go through one of those gates?" he asked. "They usually leave things behind, and once in a while we find something we can use."

I glanced him over again, deciding he looked pretty good.

"I've never seen you in this before."

"It's not something I do too often," he rubbed his neck. "It's…"

He trailed off, his head whipping toward the southern woods. He growled low in his throat, as if warning someone to stay away.

"What is it?" I moved instinctively closer to him. He glared into the distance a moment longer, then sighed.

"I think we should go," he took my hand, threading his fingers through mine. "We shouldn't be this far from the bathhouse after nightfall."

I hadn't noticed how late it was. I could barely see the sun over the trees, the chill of evening sinking through the silk of my dress. It was the one I'd worn while I'd stayed at Haku's palace, a spiral of pale brown and green with darker green edging and lions embroidered in gold. The collar was lower, the sleeves to my elbows. I glanced at Haku again, watching the icy glint creeping into his eyes.

"You think Taizai's still looking for me, don't you?" my voice was calmer than I'd thought it would be. His hand tightened on mine.

"He's not one to give up easily. There's only one way to make sure he'll never come back."

I knew what he meant, the thought making me shiver harder.

"It won't come to that, will it?"

He turned to me, cupping my cheek.

"I'm hoping it won't," he said. "But if it does, I won't hesitate. He almost took you once, I won't let it happen again."

The anger in his voice ensnared me as much as it scared me. I really meant that much to him? He pulled me to him, and before I knew it we were standing in his office.

"Whoa," I clung to him, feeling lightheaded. "Warn me next time, will you?"

"Sorry," he went to the window, drawing the curtains. I wondered why he did it by hand, watching the rise and fall of his chest. Had the spell tired him out somehow? "I wanted to get out of there quickly."

"Was Taizai really out there?" I looked at him. He shook his head.

"It was someone else," his voice hardened. "Someone I hope you'll never meet."

"Just how many enemies do you have, Haku?" I was half-joking. He growled again, a hint of fang showing. What was with him tonight? "Is everything okay? I'm sorry if I upset you."

"It's not you," he groaned, running a hand over his face. "It's just…ugh, I can't do this anymore."

"Do what?" my heart hurt again. "Haku, what are you saying?"

"I can't keep secrets from you anymore," he turned to me. For once, he looked old, lines of worry and fear etched across the smooth planes of his face. "I'm not who you think I am, Chihiro."

Again, I remembered what Khan had said, guilt biting at me.

"I'm pretty sure that's something we share, Haku."

He ran a hand along the mantle, tracing the design etched into the white stone. What was he trying to tell me, and why wouldn't he just say it?

"I'm not a true spirit," his words were hushed, his fingers closing tightly on the mantle. "You could say I'm almost an imposter."

I went to his side, rubbing his arm comfortingly.

"I've known that for some time, Haku," I revealed. "And it doesn't make me feel any differently."

"It might if you knew the whole story. My actions almost brought the entire world to ruin."

He repeated the tale Kamajii had told me, but with one change. Instead of a general tearing a gate into the spirit world, it was Haku himself, a betrayed prince blinded by the fury of revenge.

"My mother fled back to this world after my father saw her true form. When I was born it opened a new gate and that day he crossed over and took me back to his palace. By the time I learned the truth, it was too late. He'd corrupted me, saying the elders had killed my mother for having a child with a human. I vowed to avenge her, a woman I'd never even met.

"I invaded during a solar eclipse, the only time a human can cross directly over during the day. We outnumbered them, and I thought it would mean an easy victory. After months of slaughter, I was visited by a warning spirit. They said my actions would lead to my death, as my father's had led to thousands. That night, he ran me through with the very sword he had used to take my mother's head."

I gasped, horrified. His own father had tried to kill him? A fang flashed again, longer than before.

"He said he was thanking me for giving him time to slaughter the elders," he was more dragon than man now. I backed away as he clawed at his face, snarling as he tried to regain control of himself. "He was just using me right from the start!"

"Haku, please," I kept my voice steady, trying to calm him. He whirled to glare at me, the rage fading slowly from his face. When it was gone he looked tired, as though he weren't used to such powerful emotions. He slumped to his knees on the rug, his clawed hands fisting in his hair. I knelt next to him, holding his head to my chest.

"It's okay, Haku," I murmured soothingly. "It's in the past, it doesn't matter anymore."

He took my hand, bringing it to his lips. He was even warmer than usual, as though he had a fever.

"Can spirits get sick?" I wondered absently. He grimaced, holding his stomach.

"Sick with guilt, maybe."

"Over what?"

"Yubaba didn't just disappear in the middle of the night," he faced me again. "The truth is I killed her."


	22. Truth

“W-What?” I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard, yet somehow, I could. “How?”

“I went to her a couple years after you left, saying I wanted my freedom. She agreed, on the condition I could prove I’d regained the power she’d stolen from me. It was a complete accident what happened after; I never meant to hurt her.”

“I know you didn’t,” I gripped his shoulders. “You’re not that kind of person.”

“I’d like to believe I’m not…”

He pulled away from me, curling up with his head on his knees. I’d never seen him look this way, so scared and vulnerable. I waited for him to continue, running a hand through his hair like he’d done so often with me.

“What happened?” I asked gently. He stayed that way a while longer, taking a deep breath before lifting his head.

“I only meant to use one kind of magic,” he said. “I never meant to summon the other.”

He stood, pacing like he did when he was too agitated to sit still. I watched his every move, trying to figure out what he was telling me.

“There’s more than one kind of magic?” I hated myself for asking such an obvious question. “You mean like healing and combat?”

“That’s right,” he leaned against his desk, running a hand over his face. “But I’m talking elemental.”

“Huh?”

“The more powerful a spirit is, the more elements they can control.”

“And where would you fall on that scale?” I’d wondered that since he’d said he wasn’t quite a normal spirit.

“I can harness two,” he offered. “A god would have three. Only an elder can control all four.”

“I know one of your elements is water, but what’s the other?”

He flicked the air, a tiny flame igniting on his fingertip. He used it to light several candles, then blew it out.

“I didn’t have a problem defeating Yubaba, and I thought it had ended when my contract was destroyed, but it was just the beginning.”

He explained how Boh had come to him the day after he’d regained his freedom, saying Yubaba wanted to speak with him. He’d still been a giant baby, yet had managed to slip out after hearing her think out loud. He hadn’t been prepared for what he’d found, describing the scene so vividly I could’ve sworn it was happening right in front of me.

_Haku leaned against the fireplace, his arms crossed over his chest. His face held a cold, unblinking stare._

_“Let me get this straight,” he said flatly. “You want to take me on as your apprentice again, after challenging me to gain my freedom?”_

_The old witch shook her massive head._

_“I don’t know what my son told you, Haku,” she returned. “But the last thing I want is for you to remain here.”_

_His eyes shifted, the edge of a dark smile forming._

_“What could you possibly do if I refused to leave?”_

_She tapped a long red nail on the desk, a crystal vial bubbling forth._

_“There are plenty of ways for me to get to Sen’s world,” she smiled cruelly, pressing the stopper of the vial and rocking it back and forth. “It would be a shame if she were to…have an accident.”_

_Haku’s anger flared at this, his hair and clothes billowing around him in an uncharacteristic show of power._

_“I’d stop you before you even got close to her,” his eyes narrowed slightly, turning yellow. “You’d be lucky if I let you crawl away from it.”_

_She cackled, unafraid. She took the vial in hand, and with a sweep of her fingers it had disappeared. The faintest hint of a snarl appeared on Haku’s lips, the only other crack in his mask._

“I told her if she wanted a fight, I’d be happy to oblige her,” Haku was pacing again, unable to keep still. “But only if she agreed to have it away from the bathhouse.”

_The pair alighted in a clearing past Swamp Bottom, Haku transforming as Yubaba slipped from her black cloak. He had maintained the form of a young boy, yet the air of power that clung to him had increased four-fold._

_“You still have time to turn back,” there was almost humor in his voice. The old witch scoffed, her cloak walking itself to a tree and hanging over a branch._

_“You think you scare me, Haku?” she asked haughtily. “I’m more powerful than you’ll ever be.”_

_The dark smile crossed his lips again, this time paired with a skeptical raised brow._

_“Have you already forgotten who you’re dealing with?” he asked. He’d barely finished the question when a flash of light blinded him, a shockwave throwing him off his feet. So, she’d decided on that, had she?_

So much for the element of surprise, _he hovered above the ground, brushing himself off. Yubaba had used the same spell the first time, nearly losing control when he’d easily neutralized it. He feigned ignorance as she prepared her next attack, a spell that threw her opponent’s power back at them. He flew higher, hiding a small relic behind his back. The shard was all that remained of an ancient mirror, one that, when looked into, made the person’s deepest wish reality. What resulted from that brief glance was far from what he’d expected._

“When I looked again, the mirror had vanished, and so had she.”

He sighed, his shoulders lifting slightly. I sat where he’d left me, watching as he went back to his desk and straightened a stack of papers. His movements were tense, his eyes never keeping still. It took a while for me to digest the story, to sort the new feelings sprouting in my stomach.

“How can you be sure it killed her?” it was the only thing I could think of. “Maybe it just teleported her somewhere.”

“No,” he shook his head, his hair flying. “If that had happened, she would’ve come back by now. She’d never leave this place in my hands.”

I stood, feeling a light tingle behind my ear. It was the ocean blossom, the petals giving off a pulsating glow. He gasped, the anguish about his last fight with Yubaba vanishing from his face.

“I’ve only ever heard about this,” he was whispering. Why? “These flowers only wake up if-”

I held out a hand to stop him.

“Before you go any further, you’re gonna have to answer me something,” I let my hand drop. “What on earth are you talking about?”

“Ocean blossoms are said to be the first creation,” he took my hands in his, the light from the flower bathing our faces. “Most of the time, they’re asleep; they only wake if they’re in the presence of a being that’s part of all three worlds.”

He looked at me, flashing an awestruck half-smile.

“And I think that’s you, Chihiro.”

“Okay, I still have no idea what you’re talking about,” I pulled back, imagining him wrapped in a straitjacket. The minute I did, the glow got brighter, as if fueled by something. “First off, how can anything be part of all three worlds and second, if it is me, why is it only ‘waking up’ or whatever now?”

“I don’t know, but it might have something to do with how long you’ve been here…”


	23. The Fourth Secret

“I’m guessing you’ve heard about someone called Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha was supposedly a half-demon who’d lived during the warring states era. According to legend, he was the reason the three worlds, human, spirit and demon, had been separated. I couldn’t think of anyone who didn’t know the story.

“But that’s just a fairytale.”

He shook his head.

“Were it not for his family, my mother’s river, now mine, wouldn’t have existed.”

“What are you talking about?”

His smile was mysterious, his eyes shining with an ageless light.

“Have I ever told you how old I am?”

I couldn’t remember if he had or not.

“I don’t know, about a thousand?”

He laughed, though for some reason it sounded forced.

“Close, I’m eight hundred. His grandfather carved the course for my river.”

“I guess that makes two of us.”

He looked at me, confused.

“What do you mean?”

I gulped, hoping I could tell the story without bursting into tears.

“Something happened while I was with Fawn that made Khan believe I might have demon blood, and not just any demon’s…” I bit my lip. I’d promised Khan I wouldn’t say anything, but since he’d been part of Haku, did this count as telling someone? I looked down, muttering the words so quietly I wondered if he could hear me. “Khan said I might be related to Inuyasha.”

Instead of bursting into laughter, Haku looked thoughtful, rubbing his chin like he often did.

“It makes sense,” he looked at the flower again. The glow had faded, the petals even more beautiful. “You’ve been here for so long, any dormant power you may have is starting to wake up.”

“I still have no idea what you’re trying to say,” I was starting to get irritated. He grinned apologetically, clearing his throat before explaining.

“Inuyasha married a woman with great spiritual power, and even though half-demons are usually sterile, they had two children; Taizai and Risuna.”

“Okay, but what’s that have to do with me?”

He went to his desk and reached in a drawer, taking out an old painting. He held it out to me.

“This is a portrait of Risuna; tell me she doesn’t look familiar.”

The woman in the picture was beautiful, with pale skin and black hair that flowed past her shoulders. A set of pointed ears sat on top of her head. She was dressed as a warrior, a katana visible at her waist. I focused on her face, the mismatched brown and gold eyes, full lips and straight nose. I was hit by the feeling of knowing her, even though I had no idea who she was.

“I give up,” I gave the picture back to him. “Who’s she supposed to be?”

He pulled something else from the drawer, a scroll that unrolled to show a family tree.

“One of your ancestors entrusted this to me,” he laid it on the desk. “I’ll let you figure out which one that could’ve been.”

I took my time looking over it. I had to; half the names were so faded or smudged I could barely read them. I reached my great-great-grandmother, gaping for the hundredth time that night.

“How’s that possible? She was a priestess…”

“She fell in love with a man she helped heal; she left that life in order to be with him.”

“How could they have had children? You said half-demons were sterile.”

He shrugged, showing he was as clueless about it as I was. I turned back to the scroll, another thought popping into my head.

“Wait, if you have this, does that mean you’ve been adding to it?”

He pointed to a blank spot under one of my cousins. The name _Okuri_ appeared, the characters shimmering with a pale purple light.

“It does that itself, but accepting it made me the guardian of your family.”

“Is that why you saved me when I fell in your river?”

He nodded, though he looked slightly embarrassed. I chuckled.

“Let me guess, you want to say how that’s not the only reason, that even though I was just a little kid you were already in love with me.”

I’d never seen him look so surprised. I laughed harder.

“Come on, that’s only how it works in every story I’ve ever heard.”

He blushed furiously, turning his back on me.

“Well, can you blame me?”

I shook my head, still chuckling, going to him and kissing his cheek.

“Don’t look so glum, Kohaku,” I twirled his hair with my finger. “It doesn’t suit you.”

He looked over his shoulder, and before I could react he’d grabbed my face and frenched me.

“Don’t call me Kohaku,” he said softly. “I won’t be responsible for my actions if you do.”

“Maybe I should call you Kohaku all the time, then,” I murmured. “I love it when you lose control.”

“You won’t if I end up hurting you,” he tensed. “I am a dragon, after all.”

I giggled.

“I’m sure I can handle it.”


	24. Be my Momma

“Ouch.”

It was the eighth time I’d pricked myself. Lin had shown me where they stored extra cloth, telling me I could take what I wanted.

“Yubaba ordered so much before she left we don’t know what to do with it.”

Most of the cloth had been plain, the salmon and navy cotton used in the workers’ uniforms, or white, purple and red silk for curtains. It had taken a while to find something with a pattern, one that didn’t burn my eyes, anyway. I hadn’t thought about sewing since I’d come back, hit with the urge to do it after finishing my work that morning.

The cloth I’d decided on was pale brown, soft to the touch and that glimmered in the light. The pattern was too faint for me to tell what it really was, but it reminded me of the bark of a cherry tree. I wasn’t even sure I was making anything; I’d spent the last few hours sitting on the outer walkway, staring out while poking thread through the fabric and turning my left thumb into Swiss cheese.

“Maybe I’ll see Kamajii,” I thought out loud. The bathhouse was always quieter when Haku was gone, he probably wouldn’t be that busy. How long had it been? A while, certainly.

The peace in the halls reminded me of just how beautiful the bathhouse was; the intricate paintings on the walls, the smooth pillars, the glossy wood railings. I passed through the kitchen, assaulted by such a mix of exotic smells it made my head spin. There was a huge basket of fresh steam buns by a massive stove. I hadn’t eaten since morning; surely they won’t miss one or two. Or three. I also grabbed a thing of star candies, since for some reason I loved listening to the soot sprites fight over them. Kamajii was hard at work as always, Boh hovering near his stand and watching him grind the herbs.

“Sen!” he waved to me. He’d grown a bit since I’d come back, almost to my waist. He was also getting a bit heavy for me to pick up, a fact that never seemed to register with him. I chuckled, tossing the star candies as I made my way over to them.

“What are you doing in here?” I asked him. He smiled.

“Kamajii said I can be his assistant,” he said loudly. Kamajii cringed subtlety, giving me a pleading look while Boh’s back was turned. I nodded faintly, knowing where he was coming from.

“It’s getting late,” I said to Boh. I gave him one of the steam buns I’d swiped from the kitchen. “Why don’t you head upstairs and get ready for bed? I’ll come read you a story when I’m done here.”

His eyes lit up, like they always did when he heard the word ‘story’.

“Okay!”

He dashed out, grabbing the basket almost before I managed to get the other buns out of it. I shook my head once he’d left, handing one of them to Kamajii before sitting on the floor to watch the soot sprites.

“He’s a sweet boy,” he said after a while. He held the bun in one hand while the rest kept working. “But he can get to be too much for an old man like me.”

I giggled, partly from what he’d said and partly because a stray soot sprite was tickling my feet. I popped the last bite of my steam bun and swallowed.

“I can’t argue with you there,” I said. “Kids his age are always a handful.”

“I’ll never understand why Yubaba kept him in that room,” he mused. I shrugged.

“It might’ve had something to do with how controlling she was; she had him thinking he’d get sick if he went outside.”

Kamajii laughed.

“He’s been outside plenty since she left; he hasn’t been sick once.”

I drew my knees to my chest. The soot sprites had finished their candies and had gone back to hauling coal. I noticed they’d started working together to move bigger pieces, probably tired of being squished beneath them. It was quiet again for a bit, as quiet as it could be with the furnace clanking around a few feet away. I thought about what’d happened since I’d come back, what Lin had told me Haku had done after I’d left with my parents.

“Hey, Kamajii,” I looked up at him. “Has Haku been acting…odd lately? Or after I first left?”

He finished his bun then scratched his head, humming quietly to himself.

“I don’t leave this place often, but Lin would mention things when she came down here,” he scratched his head again. “He’d lose his temper over little things, a dish that was too sweet, ink that was too runny. She thought the stress of running this place was getting to him, but it turned out to be something else entirely.”

_Haku paced around his office, his hands fisted in his hair. It was three years after Chihiro had left, the void in his heart growing bigger by the day. A yuna carrying a tea tray gulped before entering, keeping her head bowed respectfully while she set the tray on his desk. It was close to overflowing with papers, the army of Yubaba’s small treasure chests having been cleaned out and discarded. She bowed again, watching through her bangs as the river spirit stopped his pacing and stared out the window. Even with his hair mussed, his face locked in a perpetual snarl, Haku was incredibly handsome._

_“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” he was talking to himself. It was an odd habit that had started several months after Chihiro’s departure, his employees guessed was his way of dealing  with the incredible turn his life had taken. The yuna swallowed, remembering what usually followed the internal conversation._

_Haku yelled in pain, grabbing his face. The smoke was thicker this time, rolling from his mouth, rivulets of blood springing forth where his nails savaged his skin. The yuna, barely out of childhood whimpered,  backing away as soon as she’d poured a cup of tea._

_“What’s the rush?”_

_Haku was watching her now, the evidence of his ordeal nowhere to be found. His hair was arrow-straight, the cuts mere scars that faded by the second. There was a warm, inviting light in his eyes, disarming her as he slowly came closer. The servant girl’s heart raced in her chest; she’d always dreamt of being this close to him. He brushed her face with the back of his hand, brushed back the long black hair that veiled her eyes._

_The light in his eyes grew hotter, sparking as he moved closer still, until his lips hovered just above hers._

* * *

I couldn’t stop thinking about the story, even as I helped Boh get ready for bed. Apparently, the yuna had been around just long enough to tell Lin what had happened, then had disappeared without a trace. I’d asked her about it when I’d returned the candy basket to the kitchen; she’d dodged the question before I’d even finished asking. That could only mean something big was going on, something she’d been ordered not to talk about.

“Chihiro?”

Boh was lying in bed, looking at me expectantly. I’d spaced out before even starting. He slipped further under the covers, grabbing one of three toys lying next to him. The crimson curtain that separated his room from Haku’s office was drawn; he’d refused to get into bed until I’d closed it. His reason was he didn’t want Haku overhearing us.

“Haku is acting different,” he said. “He won’t play with me anymore!”

“Oh, Boh,” I stroked his forehead. “Haku’s just been really busy lately. He’ll play with you once things calm down.”

We only had a couple months left until the winter solstice, one of the biggest events in the spirit world. This year, according to Haku, was even more special, since it fell on a new moon. I wasn’t sure what the moon had to do with it, but as usual, he’d refused to spill, saying I’d find out at the party.

“But I don’t wanna wait,” he whined. “I wanna play with him now!”

I sighed, shaking my head.

“Enough about this,” I chided him gently. “Or I won’t tell you about the man who wished he was the sun.”

That got his attention. He stopped talking, gazing at me with his doey dark eyes. I chuckled, telling him about the stonecutter who was never satisfied.*

“…he picked up his hammer, and went back to work under the sweltering sun.”

Boh moaned softly in his sleep, tightening his hold on his stuffed monkey. I bent over him, kissing his forehead.

“Sweet dreams, baby boy,” I wasn’t sure when I’d started calling him that, but it felt so natural to do so. He turned on his other side, curling in a ball.

“Thanks for being my momma,” he murmured. I blinked, getting up and setting the thick story book on the rocking chair. I’d run out of stories to tell him, the book one of several lining his shelves. It had legends from trading routes around the world, organized by country.

Haku was at his desk when I went to his office, the fire casting dancing shadows on the wall behind him. I couldn’t help but laugh a little. How could a world full of magic also be full of paperwork? I sat down next to the desk, leaning against the side. His face was scrunched in concentration, his hand constantly flying up to push his bangs from his eyes. After what felt like forever he finally gave up, leaning back in his chair with a weary sigh.

“This festival thing would be a lot better if I didn’t have to plan it all,” he muttered. He reached across the desk, taking a long drink from a clay bottle. From the smell that wafted down, it was probably sake.

“Planning’s always the worst part,” I agreed. “But it’s all worth it in the end, right?”

“Let’s hope,” he put the bottle down, rubbing his eyes. “The festival hasn’t been too popular lately.”

“Why not?”

He went back to work, forming each character painstakingly slowly. He rushed through it most of the time, his handwriting about as legible as chicken scratches.

“Yubaba wasn’t exactly popular with most of the spirits,” he said. “Especially after they found out she stole the names of her employees.”

“Why’s this place so popular if no one liked her?”

“It might not have seemed like it, but she was incredibly vain,” he almost smiled. “She only accepted the best, so this place became famous for its luxuries.”

“And now that you’re in charge?” I rested my head on his knee. He looked down at me, the flare in his eyes fading as quickly as it had appeared. He shrugged.

“It’s taking a lot of time to clean up after her reputation, but that hasn’t stopped them from coming,” he looked ashamed. “In fact, the day after I killed her, there was a huge spike in arrivals.”

I remembered what one of the other workers had told me, that there had been a dark vibe shrouding the bathhouse. She’d said it was a reminder to others of just how powerful Yubaba had been. It weakened when she was gone, and one day it had disappeared completely, meaning Yubaba had vanished.

“It’s impossible to kill her,” she’d said. “The only way that vibe could’ve disappeared is if someone even more powerful than her came and took over.”

Haku claimed to have killed her, a feat which Kiyo and several others had said was impossible. Was Yubaba really gone or in hiding? Would she come back, and if so, when? How? The thought made me shiver. Haku took something from a drawer, going to the fireplace. He stirred the embers, adding wood to bring the fading flame back to life.

“You’ll never guess what Boh said to me,” I changed the subject before I scared myself again. Haku had thrown sagebrush on the embers, making the flames turn blue. “He thanked me for being his momma.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” he sat down again, straightening a stack of papers. “I…adopted him after the fight with Yubaba, I felt it was the least I could do.

He never stopped asking when I would bring you back. After a while, he wanted me to marry you so he could have a mother again.”

“And a little brother or sister,” I giggled. “But as much as I like you, Haku, I don’t want to marry you. Not yet, anyway.”

“That’s exactly what I told him,” he straightened another stack. “He said he’d wait as long as he had to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * This is actually a Chinese fable, taken from amnh dot org. It's a pretty small site, but the stories are fun to listen to.


	25. Interlude

I wasn’t sure what was going on. Why hadn’t I asked Haku about what Kamajii had told me? I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it, then as soon as I saw him, it had faded from my memory. Why was it only coming back now? I shifted uncomfortably, unaware of how much noise I was making until he put his hand on my head, a light laugh in his voice.

“What’s wrong with you tonight?”

I shook my head, trying to keep the story from slipping away again. I gulped, deciding to just blurt it out. I also thought it’d be best to keep Kamajii out of it.

“Lin told me about a worker you frightened,” I almost added, ‘and probably slept with’, but decided it’d be best to hear that part from him.

“You’re talking about Airisu,” he sighed again. “I don’t know what happened. One minute, she was pouring me tea, the next, I was waking up in the infirmary with ripped-up clothes and she’d disappeared.”

I thought about what Lin had told me, about how Haku had been moody and short-tempered after I left. Could what had happened with Airisu also be connected?

“I do remember one thing, though,” he continued. “I wasn’t in the best mood when she showed up.”

“A few people told me you were pretty unstable for a while after I left,” I waited for his reaction. He bit his lip, looking nervous.

“I don’t remember much,” he admitted. “But you’re right, I wasn’t myself.”

I knew he was lying, or at least not telling the whole story. I realized his hand hadn’t left my head, and that his fingers had started to slip through my hair. Lin had been braiding it for me every day lately, saying it would help. Help what, though, I had no clue. I felt his hand stop at the hair tie, stroke it briefly like he was thinking about something.

“I’ve never felt like this before,” his voice was low, like he didn’t want me hearing. “Why’d it have to be now, of all times…”

It didn’t take me long to realize what he was talking about. After my first trip to the spirit world, I’d read everything I could get my hands on about spirits; how many kinds there were, famous ones, which ones to steer clear of. Not surprisingly, my favorite subject had been dragons. They were elementals, spirits of nature. Water dragons were silver and teal like Haku. Air was light purple and white, earth was green and brown and fire was orange and red. They all had the power to fly and shift into a human form, though most of them preferred to stay dragons. Also like Haku, their human forms were incredibly beautiful. (Don’t tell him I said that.)

Another thing I’d learned about was their mating seasons. Air had fall, fire had spring, earth had summer. Water, of course, had winter. I’d heard somewhere it was more related to temperature than the season itself. Rarely, two different elements would mate, and their children were usually more powerful than their pure counterparts. Winter was getting closer, which I thought helped explain Haku’s behavior. Normally, dragons are calm, peaceful creatures, but it’s a different story for some of them once their season rolls around. If they’ve never mated, or the one they chose isn’t around for some reason, they get short-tempered and volatile, especially when they’re mixed.

Haku grabbed my braid, tugging my head back. He had the same look in his eyes that he did every time we’d been alone lately; needy, impatient, almost mindless with lust. My body heated at the thought of his lust being directed at me, though the rational part of my brain was terrified. I mean, technically, I’d already slept with him, since Khan had been part of him, but the thought of having sex with Haku himself? I don’t know why, but it scared me.

“Chihiro?”

I blinked. Haku had been staring at me this whole time, bent over in his chair with his face barely an inch from mine.  I swallowed, my insides clenching at the thought of what he could do to me. I bit my lip, hoping he wouldn’t take my hesitation as rejection.

“I’m new to this, too,” he whispered. He leaned closer, brushing his lips against mine. “There’s no need to be scared.”

“I’m not,” I said. “It’s just…”

“Just what?” he licked my ear, then nipped it. I squirmed, not because it was uncomfortable, but because I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Sure, mating seasons might have explained part of Haku’s problem, but that didn’t explain the rest of the year. I gulped, backing away so I could clear my head.

“Something happened to you after I left,” I said simply. “I want to know what.”

He looked desperately at me, his eyes clouding over like he was in some kind of trance. He started breathing faster, his hands trembling.

“P-Please, Chihiro,” he swallowed. His voice had gotten deeper, and a little raspy. “Please just come back here. I-I can’t…”

His words were swallowed by a growl. The next thing I knew, he’d shifted to his dragon form, staring at me like he’d just found his next meal. I covered my mouth with my hands, holding back the scream clawing at my throat. I risked a glance behind me; if I could distract him somehow, I’d probably be able to make a break for it. He flew in front of me, baring his teeth. They gleamed wickedly in the firelight, sharper than knives. Escaping to the hallway wouldn’t be an option. Then, just as quickly as he’d transformed, he’d changed back, watching me with that lustful, terrified stare.

“Don’t go,” he was begging. Sweat dripped down his face, his teeth and nails still inhumanly sharp. I couldn’t tell what I was more afraid of; the fact he was acting crazy, or the fact neither of us seemed to know why he was acting crazy. I gulped, taking a deep breath before approaching him. He seemed to calm down the closer I got, though he still looked like  he was stuck in mid-transformation. His hair was longer, shaggy, his eyes wide and lizard-like. He was unusually cold when I touched his cheek, his hand going up to cover mine.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” his voice was back to normal. He leaned forward to kiss me, carefully since his teeth were still razors. “I never mean to.”

I took his shoulders, making him look at me. I put on my coldest mask, which must’ve been pretty good. He actually wilted under my stare.

“Haku, unless you want me to leave and never come back, I suggest you tell me what’s going on with you, and I mean _now._ ”

For a long moment, he held my gaze, then abruptly looked away. When he looked back, he was glaring at me.

“You think I haven’t spent the last eight years trying to figure that out?” he asked angrily. “That it might be half the reason I ‘m going insane in the first place?”

It was my turn to wilt when I realized how unfair I was being, Of course he would’ve spent all this time trying to find an answer, or at least some way to stop it. I took my hands off his shoulders, stepping back.

“You’re right, I’m sorry, Haku,” I said lowly. “It wasn’t my place to speak out.”

“No, I understand how frustrating this is, never knowing when I might fly off the handle…”

He ran a hand through my hair. When had he loosened it? He tilted my head back, again pinning me with that lustful stare.

“Let’s forget about it,” he whispered. “At least for tonight.”

Any protests I might have had died the second he kissed me. His teeth and nails still had the slightest edge, but the faint scratching on my skin only helped to increase the feelings. I put my hands on his shoulders again, massaging gently while pushing his sleeves out of the way. He was a little cooler than normal, but his touch still heated me to my very core.

“Oh, Haku…”

I gasped lightly when my back hit the desk, his gorgeous face looming over me. Even with his back to the fire, his eyes were burning, almost glowing. He leaned down again, burying his face in my neck, licking up slowly from my collarbone to my ear.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do this,” he whispered, nipping my ear lobe. I shuddered, unable to tell if it was passion or fear. His voice was different again, not gravelly, but definitely deeper.

“Haku, please,” I put my hands on his chest. It was like pushing a brick wall. He kept going, licking, biting and kissing every inch of me he could reach. “P-Please stop…”

His hands tightened on my arms, his nails digging in. He lifted his head from my neck, the lightest layer of blood on his lips.

“You asked for this,” he growled at me. He kissed me again, his tongue forcing its way past my lips. But this wasn’t the hot, loving caress from before. It felt more like he was dominating me, claiming me as his property. This thought solidified itself when he grabbed my breast, his claws tearing through the cloth of my dress. “You don’t have any right to make me stop.”

It still amazed me how strong he was, I might as well have been a sheet of rice paper. It shouldn’t have, though, since male dragons are known for their strength. He threw me at the curtain that led to Boh’s room, the cloth tearing and sending me sprawling. Boh was awake by this point, clutching his stuffed toy in a death grip.

“Chihiro,” he cried. He jumped from bed, cowering behind me. “What’s wrong with Haku?”

I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tightly as Haku approached us, looking like he’d just found the man who had killed his mother. His hair and clothes were billowing from an invisible wind, a column of fire staring to swirl around him. His eyes were once more a dragon’s, his teeth and claws gleaming knives. He kept coming closer, growling furiously.

“I said stop!”

I threw out my hand, as if I could stop him. The moment I did, a blinding flash of light escaped, slamming into him and throwing him back. He crashed on top of the desk, smashing it to pieces. Boh and I sat there, panting and staring at my hand. My palm was smoking, the skin as white as it always was. Boh stared at me, the terror never leaving his eyes.

“Chihiro…what did you do?”

I wish I knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably because I've been watching Marvel anime all night, but I got an idea for a story that follows Haku and Chihiro's kids or grandkids meeting up in the human world with Blade and Wolverine. What would you guys think of that?


	26. Questions Answered...Sort Of

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna update this chapter as I finish it, just so it feels like I'm actually doing something with this story.

Boh and I left for Zeniba's the next morning. Haku was still out cold, locked in a special room in the infirmary that neutralized any magic. Boh strayed in front of me the whole way to the station, Yu-bird planted securely on his head. The tiny creature hadn't come near me since seeing what I'd done the night before. What had I done? Even more, how had I done it? Thanks to Haku, I knew I had demon and priestess blood in me. Was that the only answer I needed? I shook my head, hoping Zeniba would know something about it.

I called to Boh, telling him not to go too far ahead. He ignored me, instead running excitedly toward the platform. It was foggy, so it was another minute or so before I saw who he'd run to.

"Noface!"

The tall spirit waved his small arm, Boh gesturing for me to hurry up. I could hear the train coming; I started running, barely making it to the platform in time. Noface handed the ticket master a sheet of four, the spirit shredding them before letting us board. As usual, the car we picked was pretty much empty. The few shadows avoided us even more than usual, some of them even retreating to the other cars. Were they all scared of something?

"Uhh, uhh!" Noface gestured toward the window. We looked, seeing a flock of large birds. Because of the fog I couldn't tell what color they were, but it looked like they were following us. They kept with the train until we hit the fifth stop, suddenly veering off in a different direction. There was no such thing as a normal animal in this world, making me wonder what those birds might have wanted. I decided to add it to the mental list of questions I had for Zeniba.

"You think Haku will come after us this time?" it was the first thing Boh had said to me since we'd left. I swallowed, hoping he would while hoping he wouldn't. I'd started writing a note for him the night before, telling him we no longer felt safe around him. I'd barely gotten half-way before I'd crumpled it up and thrown it in the fireplace, making sure every inch of the paper burned. I wondered if it had been pointless; after all, he'd found us at Zeniba's cottage before.

"I really don't know," I told him. And I'm really wishing he doesn't, I added silently. Boh sat back in his seat, his hands in his lap. Noface did the same, his mask frowning. They were afraid of me, at least Boh was. I didn't know what worried me more. I sighed, reaching for Yu-bird, who'd hopped off Boh's head to the windowsill. She pecked at my hand, moving further away from me. Her big eyes were narrowed, glaring at me. I gave a weak smile, getting to my feet as the train slowed at Swamp Bottom. The lantern was waiting for us, as usual.

I strayed behind as Boh ran ahead, laughing as he chased the hopping lantern. Noface stayed between us, grunting lightly whenever either of them got too far ahead. The last time I'd come here I'd become someone's puppet, would the same thing happen this time? I looked up when the lantern stopped squeaking, seeing Zeniba in the small garden by her cottage. Boh was already walking along a row of cabbages, holding a watering can the size of his head.

"Chihiro!" he waved to me. What was wrong with him? Last night, he'd refused to let go of me, then as soon as we'd left for the train he'd stayed as far away from me as possible. Now, he was acting like Haku's freak-out had never happened. Maybe Zeniba was just that calming a presence, or he was already pretty used to insane things happening. I'm pretty sure anyone living with Yubaba would be after a while.

"Hi, Granny," I kept my head down. Zeniba was smiling gently as usual, but I felt like I was no longer worthy of meeting her gaze.

"Chihiro, what's wrong, dearie?" she sounded worried. I cringed; would I really be able to tell her?

"Haku went crazy!" Boh cried, dropping the watering can. I guess that was one thing he had in common with humans; little boys always got excited at the thought of danger. He went on to explain exactly what Haku had done, adding sound effects and wild gestures. Zeniba listened patiently, glancing at me when he mentioned what I had done to Haku in return.

"He warned me this would happen," she said softly when he'd finished. We looked at her, Noface picking up the watering can Boh had dropped. Either he already knew what she was talking about, or felt it wasn't any of his business. She motioned us to follow her, leading us along the path I'd taken the last time we'd come here. When we reached the clearing, she turned to us, looking almost scared.

"The first time you left, Chihiro," she started. "I was visited by a warning spirit. He told me it wasn't the last time we'd see you, and that the next time you came, there'd be a war like we've never seen before."

"A war?" I couldn't believe my ears. "But Haku just…"

She shook her head.

"That was just the beginning; the ones behind this won't give up easily."

"Who's behind all this?" I asked desperately. "M-Maybe I can talk to them, put a stop to this!"

I knew it was impossible, but I didn't want to be the cause of any more bloodshed. I tried to think of something, anything I could do to keep the prophecy from coming true, coming up with only one thing.

"What if I left?" I asked. "What if Haku made it so I forgot everything and couldn't come back?"

"You think he didn't try that already?"

I stopped. Lin had told me the elders were supposed to have made it so I forgot everything. I hadn't, and I had the feeling the hair tie and riverstone had nothing to do with it. That thought brought something else to mind; the ocean blossom. Haku had said it only awoke when it was in the presence of a being that was part of all three worlds. I'd forgotten the flower in my room back at the bathhouse, since we'd been in such a hurry to leave.

"Do you know anything about the three worlds?" I asked eventually. "Or how someone could be part of all three?"

She looked like I'd just hit her with a frying pan. She turned quickly back toward her cottage, calling to Boh. He complained loudly, having started building a fort out of sticks and rocks. He ran to her and took her hand, looking back at me with wide dark eyes.

"Auntie Zeniba," he asked. "Are we in trouble?"

She shook her head, hurrying us along as thunder boomed overhead.

When we got back, Zeniba told Boh it was time for his nap. It took three glasses of warm milk and the promise of an extra-long story when he woke up before he listened, going to his room in the back of the cottage. Noface went back to work in the garden, having set a pot of water on the stove to boil. I fidgeted in my chair while Zeniba finished the tea, wondering what questions we'd ask, fearing the answers we'd get in return. I was ready to burst when she sat down, setting a steaming cup in front of me.

"I assume Haku told you Inuyasha's story," she said. I nodded.

"From the sound of it, none of what's happening now would've started if it weren't for him."

She nodded, confirming the thought.

"He isn't entirely to blame, though," she said. "It was his son who truly started this chain of events."

I stopped stirring my tea.

"Taizai?" I asked, swallowing. "What does he want? Why is he after me?"

"It isn't just you, but the power you possess. That is the key to his plan."

I looked at my hand, thinking again about what I'd done to Haku. If I've had this power for as long as I think I have, why is it only waking up now? Zeniba either read my mind or sensed my confusion, because she gave a soft sigh.

"I'm afraid I'm not the one who can tell you that," she said. "But it won't be much longer until you meet the person who can."


	27. How Confusing is This?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, a new chapter for all my patient readers. Sorry to make you guys wait so long, but I promise the story's not over yet!

_Thanks for the riddle, Granny,_ I thought. It had looped through my head for hours, making me toss and turn on the pallet Noface had set up for me in the sitting room. I'd felt exhausted after we'd finished talking, Zeniba fulfilling our promise to Boh for me. I'd snuck to the hallway and cracked his door, listening in as she told him a story I'd never heard, about young siblings who had to follow a strange map to find their way home. The problem with the map was it had been created by the monkey king from Chinese folklore. In keeping with his mischievous nature, he had cast a spell to make it show a new location every time they reached the previous one. The poor children had eventually perished, becoming the four winds.

"Is it really true, Auntie?" Boh asked, his eyes wide in awe. Zeniba smiled, tucking him in.

"Every story has a crumb of truth to it," she said. She turned her massive head, looking at me from the corner of her eye. "Right, my dear?"

I gulped, knowing it wouldn't do any good to duck back to the sitting room. She'd probably known I'd been there the whole time.

"Yes, that's right," I said, standing up and coming in. I sat on a pink pillow near Boh's pallet, one of the hundreds from his old nursery. "Every story is retold and changed over time, until they become the legends we know today."

"Do you think our story will be a legend?" he asked excitedly.

"It could," I told him, but inside I hoped it wouldn't. I didn't want to be remembered as the human that had betrayed her race, as the catalyst for the end of the world. No doubt sensing the change in my mood, Zeniba finished tucking him in, making sure his favorite stuffed monkey was covered, too.

"It's late, dearie," she said softly. "And little boys need their rest."

He nodded, turning away from us. A minute later he was asleep, no doubt already dreaming of the adventures he'd have in the future. Zeniba picked up a small glass and a tea cup from the floor next to her, motioning for me to follow her.

"Would you get the door, Chihiro?" she asked, a few seconds before a soft knock sounded. "I need to gather a few things from my study."

"Sure."

I went to the door, my heart stopping when I opened it. Haku was there, looking worried.

"Chihiro…"

He reached out to me, not reacting when I knocked his hand away.

"Get out of here," I said angrily, though not sure where it had come from. "I'm not giving you another chance to hurt us."

"That's why I'm here," he looked even more anxious. "Chihiro, please, let me-"

I closed the door in his face, or I almost did, at least. He put his foot in the space, pushing it open again.

"I never wanted to hurt you," he said desperately. "Please, just let me explain!"

"Let him in, dearie," Zeniba told me. She set a small basket on the table. I stepped back from the door, crossing my arms and glaring at Haku.

"You better make it quick," I snapped. "Looking at you is starting to make me nauseas."

He cringed, shutting the door behind him. He was wearing modern clothes again, a dark green hoodie and cameo pants. His black boots were caked with dry mud, briefly making me wonder if he'd walked here.

"I deserve that," he said after I'd turned away from him. He gave a heavy sigh. "And I wish I could tell you why I'm acting this way, but the truth is I have no idea what's happening to me."

"Are you sure it's not just your mating season?" I asked scathingly. "Males think even less than usual when that comes along."

He actually chuckled a bit.

"I can't disagree with you there," he swallowed. "But I can promise that's not what this is."

I sat at the table next to Zeniba, Hake taking a seat across from us. Were it not for the fact they were both powerful spirits, I could almost imagine we were back in the human world, just two kids having tea with their elder. I stared at him for a long time, determined to make him break the silence first. Finally, he took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly.

"Like I said, I wish I had an explanation for everything, but the truth is I really don't. I have no idea why I'm acting like this."

He stared into his cup as he spoke, the tea starting to boil when he fisted the table cloth.

"Calm down, Haku," Zeniba said comfortingly. As usual, she looked like she already had an answer. "I know how confusing this must be, but stress will only make it worse."

"I know," his grip loosened on the table cloth, his shoulders slumping a bit. "I'm more than just confused, though. I'm terrified I'll hurt somebody…again."

He lifted his head, staring into the distance. The look on his face was one I don't think I've ever seen on him; utterly helpless, like he'd lost all hope. Despite this, knowing he wanted to stop it just as much as we did, all I could think of is one thing.

"What do you mean 'again'?" I asked. "How many people have you hurt because of this?"

"It started with Yubaba," he said, sighing heavily. "A few years later, it was a young yuna, and now you and Boh. That's just what I can remember."

"You mean you've been having blackouts, too?" I couldn't believe it, but I actually felt relieved. He'd been having mood swings, and now he had no memory of some of the things he did. "I think I know what's wrong with you, Haku. You've got multiple personality disorder."

"Multiple what?" he looked at me like I'd just shouted it in ancient Greek. I shook my head, thankful I could do at least something to help him.

"It means you have more than one personality," I explained. "You have no memory of what you did because it's a different you that's been doing those things."

He tilted his head, looking adorable as he did so.

"I've never heard of it."

"It's actually pretty common in the human world, more than people think it is. It's usually triggered by stress or trauma, but it can be controlled with medication."

"But I'm not human," he reminded me. "How could I have it?"

I suddenly wondered if I should bring up the story Kamajii had told me, how Haku had been born to a spirit mother and human father, but then I realized hearing such a thing would probably just cause another episode. Which was the last thing we needed right now.

"Maybe you don't have that," I started. "But something similar. It's happened to spirits before, hasn't it?"

"Well, yes," he conceded. "But only to those who've been around for ten millennia or more. I'm not even a thousand yet."

"I know, but what else could it be?" I was getting annoyed. Why did dragons have to be so stubborn and thick-headed? "Or are you just trying to find some kind of excuse for what you've been doing?"

He glared at me, though it didn't last long. His face fell, his hands falling limply off the table.

"I just want you two to come back. You're all I have to look forward to at that place."

"What about Lin and Kamajii?"

He didn't answer, staring into his teacup. He looked like the kid I'd met when I first came here, only now he was the one who was lost and frightened.

"We'll come back in two days," I sounded a lot more sure than I felt. What would be waiting for us back at the bathhouse? Would I be able to face it? Most importantly, would we all be able to live through it.

"Alright," he stood, keeping his gaze glued to the table. "I'll return for you then, or would you rather take the train?"

"You can come get us," I assured him. "Hopefully by then we'll have least scratched the surface of this mystery."

He nodded, bowing to Zeniba and thanking her for her hospitality. His movements were stiff and formal, something he only did in public or uncomfortable situations. I couldn't blame him for that. It had to be torture, knowing there was something wrong with you, that there might not be a way to fix it. He took my hand when he walked past me, taking me outside with him. Once we were alone, he turned and kissed me, pulling away before I could register what had happened.

"I could always take you home," he said. "And Boh's young enough that crossing the border wouldn't hurt him. He could stay with you if-"

"Haku," I put a finger to his lips. "If that happens, it'll only be because we tried everything we could. We won't give up so easily."

He took my hand in his, gripping it firmly.

"I wasn't going to say this yet, but I'm going to, just in case I…" he took a deep breath, holding it before speaking quickly. "I'm in love with you, Chihiro!"

He stepped back, as if expecting me to strike him. I reached out, grabbing his arm when he tried to run off.

"I know," I moved close to him again, leaning my head against his chest. His heart was racing. "I love you too, Kohaku."

He tilted my head back, this time kissing me with slow, sweet passion. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, loving the feeling when my feet left the ground. He was stronger than any human could hope to be, yet he was the most gentle person I'd ever met. All I hoped was it would stay that way.

_But what if it doesn't?_


	28. Fresh Catalyst

I spent the next two days in the clearing just behind Zeniba's house, trying to recreate what I'd done to Haku. So far, I had a grand total of nothing to show for it. Whatever had happened, it was apparently something that only came out when I absolutely needed it.

"But I need it now!" I complained aloud. "Please, just let me do this so I can understand!"

"There's not always things to understand," a deep voice above me said. I looked up, seeing a dark blur in the trees. I couldn't tell if they were watching me or not, or even if they were really there.

"Who're you?" I asked anyway. They leapt from the branch they'd been standing on, landing silently in front of me. It was already cloudy, the smell in the air promising rain, and the shadows cast by their hood made it impossible for me to see their face.

"My name's not important," they said. "Just know that I've been ordered to watch over you."

"By who?" I crossed my arms, intuition telling me this guy probably had a screw loose. "Haku?"

A low laugh was my only answer, one that sent chills up my spine.

"Who, then, Taizai?"

I couldn't remember the last time I'd even thought about him. Whatever he'd been up to, he'd seemed to have faded the moment I figured out something was wrong with Haku. The spirit made a surprised sound, one that also might have been a little approving.

"You're astute for a human," they said. "Very well. My father has sent me to make sure you do not interfere any more than needed. The plan is already in motion."

"And what the heck is that supposed to mean?" I asked skeptically. Yep, definitely had a screw loose. To my surprise, they laughed.

"You'll find out."

A black fog blew in my face, burning my eyes and choking me. By the time it cleared, the spirit, or whatever they'd been, had vanished. The only sign they'd been there were two small boot prints, but even these quickly disappeared. I didn't have too long to stew on it, because Boh ran around the side of the cottage, grinning and waving excitedly.

"Haku's back!" he cried. "And he brought presents for us!"

I looked back at the clearing, still feeling a pair of hidden eyes burning into me. I shook my head, letting Boh grab my hand and drag me to the front of the cottage. Noface was already there, picking ripe tomatoes from the garden. Haku and Zeniba stood close together, most likely talking. Boh pulled me past them, taking me to where some small packages waited.

He picked up his, tearing off the paper to reveal a new story book. I couldn't see the title, but the cover showed one of the most beautiful paintings I'd ever seen. A glinting gold sun, a blue and shining silver stream, an ancient tree that looked like it could grow right out of the picture. After gaping at it in awe, he sat down and started reading, forgetting I was even there.

Mine was bigger than his, wrapped in soft yellow silk. I couldn't believe my eyes when I unwrapped it, tears forming as I stared down at it. It was the rice paper kite I'd made when I was still in school, one that had been stolen and burned to ash right in front of me.

"This is incredible…"

I dropped to my knees, afraid to touch it. It looked just like the one I'd lost, only better. The colors were so vibrant, the lines so clean, the highest attention given to the smallest details.

"I would've given it to you sooner," Haku stopped behind me. "But I wanted to make sure it was perfect."

I wiped my eyes, sniffling with a smile on my face.

"It's better than perfect," I accepted his hand, embracing him when I'd gotten to my feet. "It's the best thing anyone's ever done for me. Thank you so much!"

"I felt it was the least I could do," he said. "After everything I've put you through."

I pulled away, looking down at the kite again. It was shaped like a diamond, parchment-colored with teal tails flowing from the outer corners. Painted in the center were two birds touching beaks, surrounded by a circle of cherry branches covered in flowers. The left bird was white and blue, the right pink and green. I didn't notice I was crying until he touched my cheek, his fingers glistening with my tears.

"Are you alright?" he asked. I nodded, wiping my eyes with my sleeve.

"It's just…so beautiful…"

He smiled, then leaned cautiously to kiss me. I met him halfway, letting the kite slip from my hands so I could hold him again.

"Eww, Chihiro!"

I pulled back again, looking over my shoulder. Boh was staring at us, looking disgusted. Haku laughed, the gentle vibration warming me to the core.

"You ready to go?" he asked. "We have a long flight ahead of us."

"I wanna stay with Auntie Zeniba," Boh answered. "She said she'd read my new storybook with me!"

We looked at Zeniba, who gave us a knowing smile.

"He'll be fine here, Haku," she said. "You know I'd never let anything happen to him."

"I know," Haku brushed the loose hair from my forehead. "Looks like it's just you and me, Chihiro."

"Give me just a minute, Haku."

I ran to Zeniba, hugging her.

"Thanks for everything, Granny," I leaned closer, lowering my voice and hoping Haku couldn't hear. "I'll look through the bathhouse library, but how will I let you know if I find anything?"

"You'll find a way," she handed me my backpack. "Now go, you don't want to keep a dragon waiting."

I laughed, running back to Haku. He'd already transformed, gazing at us with intelligent green eyes. I climbed on his back, waving before wrapping my arms around his neck. I buried my face in his mane, feeling my stomach drop when he took off. A few minutes later we leveled out, Haku giving a content rumble as he glided through a thin layer of clouds.

 _What did you tell her you'd look for?_ His voice filtered through my mind.

I lifted my head, inching forward until I could rest my chin between his horns.

"What do you mean?" I asked aloud.

He snorted.

_My hearing's even sharper than you think. I know what you said to Zeniba._

I rolled my eyes. Most dragons were suspicious by nature, a big reason why a lot of them chose solitary lives, some even after they'd mated.

"I'm just trying to find out more about what might be happening to you," I said, hoping the rushing wind hid the catch in my voice. He growled softly, taking a sharp dive. I screamed, grabbing his horns. He pulled up just before he would've hit the ground, gliding through a field of tall grass before climbing again.

 _I despise liars, Chihiro,_ he said angrily.

"Being a little hypocritical, aren't you?" I snipped in return. He growled again, his entire body tensing beneath me. He landed on a mountain, the same one with the hidden beach. After transforming, he glared at me, his hair and clothes billowing slightly.

"It'd be a good idea not to annoy me, Chihiro," he snapped. His eyes flashed yellow, showing he was close to losing control. "You know dragons have short tempers."

I turned my back to him, strolling deliberately into the cave. Moonlight streamed through the gaping hole at the peak, turning the clear water silver. Gravel crunched behind me, telling me he'd followed.

"I'm telling you the truth, Haku," I said. His footsteps stopped, the reflection in the water showing he was right behind me. "I really want to find out what's wrong with you. I want to fix things."

"What if I said I didn't want to be fixed?"

I turned, looking up at him. Had he gotten even taller? I backed up a step, feeling cold water start to soak into my sneaker. He matched me, his shoulders growing wider.

"H-Haku, what…" I choked, unable to believe what I was seeing. He bent to my level, moonlight glinting off his sharpened teeth.

"I don't want to be fixed, Chihiro," he smiled mockingly. "I've never felt better than I do right now and you know what?"

He reached up with a clawed hand, yanking out my hair tie and dropping it in the water.

"I just realized how _delicious_ you look when you're terrified."

He leaned even closer, dragging his sickeningly long tongue lazily up my neck and along my cheek. I shuddered, feeling his claws dig into my back. One wrong move and he'd probably sever my spinal cord.

"Haku, p-please," I gulped, touching his chest. It was solid concrete, his breath heavy. The worst part was his heart had stopped completely, telling me it definitely wasn't the real him doing this. "Please, wake up!"

"I _am_  awake," he smiled again, a fang cutting his lip. A droplet of blood ran down his chin, leaving a trail he quickly lapped up. "Maybe you just need to quit dreaming." 

I shied away from him as much as I dared, feeling his claws cut into my back. A sharp crack sounded as his mouth fell open, his jaw having unhinged.

"I've wanted this for a long time," his voice had changed again, torn and garbled. "And now there's no one to stop me."

I covered my neck with my hands, feeling my heart race beneath a cold sweat. At the same time, I could feel something growing within me, the same power from that night in his office. I gulped, wishing there was another way to get through to him. His tongue snaked up my cheek again, the slimy trail accompanied by a blast of hot air. His breath smelled like a rotting corpse, the stench breaking through my fear. I glared coldly at him.

"No."

I could barely hear myself, the same blast of blinding light shooting from my hands. This time he felt the full force of my power, thrown against the cave wall, crumpling to the floor like a stringless puppet. His whole torso was now a black, smoking wound, blood soaking into his charred, tattered clothes. Even at this distance, I could hear his slow, rasping breath, watching as he tried and failed to lift his head. I didn't care if hurt, or if he was back to normal or not, my only priority now was to get as far from him as possible. I wrapped my hands tightly around the straps of my backpack, ready for my first night in the untamed wilds of the spirit world.


	29. The Camping Trip from Hell

Whoever was supposed to be watching me, I couldn’t tell if they rocked or sucked at their job. I could sense half-insane creatures in all directions, but none of them seemed to dare getting close. I swallowed, looking up to see a clear dark sky. Rain wouldn’t be a problem at least. I hoped.

The land around the mountain grew more lush the further I got from the base. Whatever had created that hidden beach had apparently been the same event that had caused the distinct lack of life anywhere else on the summit. I looked up again, seeing a full moon. That hadn’t been there before.

“I’ve been walking longer than I thought…”

I looked down just in time to keep from falling in a pit. Everything was highlighted silver, but the hole was so deep the bottom was lost in shadow. I walked carefully around it, starting to search for a place I could sleep for the night. No matter where I went the moon stayed overhead, almost like it was guiding me. Eventually, I found the weirdest tree I’d ever seen. The bark made me think of a rainbow eucalyptus, but the trunk was as big around as four or five baobab trees. As I stared at it, a single beam of moonlight cut through the branches, shining on a purple door.

I walked closer, realizing there was no knob or anything, just a faint outline half-obscured by some kind of dust. I blew at it, coughing as it sprayed me in the face. I rubbed my eyes, looking through watery vision at the shape of a hand. It didn’t look much bigger than mine, the slender fingers spread out. Judging from the dust, whoever had put the door here was probably long gone. Even if they weren’t, would they mind me dropping in like this? I gulped.

_There’s only one way to find out…_

I pressed my hand to the spot, half-expected to dissolve into smoke or something. Instead, there was a small flash of white light, then the door slowly creaked open. I peeked inside, seeing a corner full of bookshelves, an empty fireplace and a carved wooden table with matching chairs. A fancy tea set was out, steam rising from two small cups.

“It’s about time you showed up.”

I turned, seeing a spirit bent over a tilted desk. His back was to me, messy, silvery-black hair falling just past their shoulders. It was another minute before he spoke again, setting down a quill made of a peacock feather before getting to his feet. He looked even younger than Haku, staring at me with the brightest green eyes.

“I expected you a lot sooner.”

“Who’re you?” I asked, taking a step back. The last thing I needed was another power-hungry psycho or lustful dragon coming after me. He smiled, his teeth slightly sharper than normal.

“I’m not surprised you’re afraid,” he said. “After all you’ve been through here.”

“What are you talking about?” I suddenly wished I’d remembered to grab a knife or something before leaving Zeniba’s. His smile faded; he brushed something from his sleeve.

“It would take too long for me to tell you,” he motioned to the table. “And we have a lot more to discuss.”

I sat across from him, staring into my teacup. My stomach grumbled at the sight of the cookies and little biscuits on the tray, but I didn’t want to risk eating one. I hadn’t had a drop of tea, either, still sure I couldn’t trust this kid. I took a deep breath, blowing it out in a long sigh.

“I’m gonna ask one last time,” I sounded a lot more confident than I felt. “Who are you?”

“My name is Yoku,” he said simply. He stirred his own tea with his finger, the light tan liquid turning a burnt orange. He placed one elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand as he stuck his fingertip in his mouth. Haku did the same thing sometimes, when he was bored or thinking about something. “I’m not quite sure how much my father wants me to tell you.”

“Father? You mean Taizai?” I wasn’t sure why I was so certain. He glanced at me with half-closed eyes, pulling his finger slowly from his lips. The act made him look like a spoiled prince.

“So, you are starting to understand,” he said flatly. “They said you would.”

“Who did?” I crossed my arms. “What the hell are you going on about?”

I didn’t usually curse, but I was beyond the edge of my patience. He looked at me again, then got up and went to his bookshelf.

“When I was young, my father told my siblings and I about a human girl who came to this world,” he started. He hovered to reach the top shelf. “How she not only defeated Yubaba, but helped a dragon prince recover his past.”

“Yes, that was me,” I resisted tapping my foot. I had no idea who this guy was, and I felt it’d be better not to tick him off. He came back with a thick book, the worn cover telling me it was decades old, if not centuries. He took a small key from his pocket, slipping it into the tarnished gold lock. A small click, and the book flew open, pages flipping in a blur until it was almost to the end. The page was half-blank, the rest of it and the one before covered in tight, even lines of small text.

“This should help make things clear,” he turned the book around and pushed it toward me. I started reading, shocked to see my stay at the bathhouse down to the last detail.

_‘The girl managed to solve the last test,’_ it said. _‘There is no doubt now, she is the one.’_

“The one for what?” I looked up at Yoku. “What am I supposed to do?”

“I cannot tell you much more,” he brought something from his wide sleeve, a small package wrapped in white cloth. “But I can give you this.”

He set it on the table between us, keeping his hand on it.

“It is a blade crafted by the same cursed swordsman that created Suneku,” he said seriously. “However, you cannot gaze upon this until you know for sure you can wield it. And there is only one way to see if you can.”

He took his hand away, tucking it quickly into his sleeve. I swallowed, brushing the package with the very tips of my fingers. I felt a slight tingle, but not much more than that. I wrapped my hand around it, pulling it toward me. Red light started flowing from it, climbing quickly along my arm. It burned, a lot, but I knew somehow letting go would be a bad idea. I shielded my eyes as it got brighter, getting the strange feeling something was changing in me. When the light faded, I turned back to Yoku, who was staring at me with that same, emotionless look.

“What just happened?”

He shook his head, getting to his feet and holding out his hand.

“You’ll find out in due time,” he said. “For now, you should rest. Things will only get harder from here on.”

I almost took his hand, hesitating when a spark of power jolted through me. I couldn’t trust this boy, but at the same time, I knew I didn’t have much of a choice. I took his head, letting him lead me down a short hall to a small bedroom. It was about the size of mine back in the human world.

“You can leave whenever you wish after dawn,” he said. “This land is too treacherous to wander at night.”

“Thank you for all this, Yoku,” I spoke with more sincerity than I felt. He left before I could say anything else; I fell on the bed, my energy suddenly gone.

_What the heck just happened?_ I wondered. _I was wide awake just a second ago._

I shrugged, chalking it up to the day’s events catching up to me.

“Might as well get some rest,” I muttered into my pillow. “Who knows how long I’ll be walking tomorrow?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask me where the tree thing (or almost anything else) in this chapter came from, because I have no freaking idea. :/


	30. Through Another's Eyes

It didn't make any sense. If the stories I've heard about that woman are true, that spell I cast on that 'gift' should have proven it. But she was no more affected than a common shadow would have been; how could a creature of such pitiful power ever fit into my father's plans?

"Yoku, you really need to stop thinking so much."

I turned, narrowing my eyes. My eldest sister was gazing into her mirror, as was her usual.

"It would serve you well to try it yourself, Yokubo," I said scornfully. "You may find it useful."

She laughed.

"Why bother thinking when I can charm men to do anything I want?"

I scoffed, turning my back to her and going to the hall. Soon, I could hear arguing and the sound of swords clashing. Gekido and Hokori had gotten into another argument, it seemed, no doubt regarding our current circumstances.

"Aren't you supposed to be busy, Gekido?" Hokori said loudly. He was the eldest of all of us, Gekido the second. Gekido growled, his temper, of course, clouding any common sense he might have had.

"I have better things to do than waste my time with some puny dragon!" he shouted. I rolled my eyes, walking past while the clang of steel continued to assault my ears. A foul stench was starting to fill the air, no doubt from Taida and Okui's room. I thought I would have gotten used to it by now, but the stink still made me want to vomit. The last room in the hall was the one I shared with Senbo, my youngest sister.

"You know I hate it when you leave, Yoku," she said softly. She was sitting at the window, a scroll forgotten in her lap. I sighed, closing the door behind me.

"It would help if you didn't refuse to leave that spot," I answered. She turned to me, her eyes glowing balefully.

"I can't," she said. "You know father ordered me not to."

I rolled my eyes again, laying on my bed. My side of the room was a bit messier than hers, just the way I liked it.

"He said you couldn't leave the house, not this room," I explained. She blew her bangs from her forehead. She always took father's orders too seriously, probably because she loved isolating herself. "Why are you so obsessed with that spot, anyway?"

"I can see the dragon's mountain," she turned back to the window. Senbo's been as blind as a rock since she was born, which made putting her in charge of watching that giant heap of dirt and rock make even less sense. But according to her, she's never had a problem seeing, something I'll probably never figure out. "He's there."

"Where do you think that human came from?" I asked. "You really think she'd be wandering around at night without a reason? She's running from him."

She didn't answer for a while, staring blankly at the scroll in her lap. It glowed briefly, then rolled up and disappeared. When it came to magic, she was more skilled than any of us, something I'm sure our father did on purpose. Had it been some kind of apology for making her blind? I shook my head. Father never apologized, and every action had a purpose. But what was his in making Senbo's magic practically unbeatable?

"It's almost time," she turned to me again. Her eyes had taken on that weird, orange-blue light again, meaning she was about to pull something big. To be honest, it always gave me the creeps. I looked away, thankful she couldn't see me shudder. When I turned back, she was gone.

I couldn't tell if things were going the way father had planned or not, or even if he did have a plan. Either way, I was sure things were about to come to a head, that the very base of this world would soon be cowering in fear. Fear of my father, of us, of the fact even the mountains would soon be bowing to our will.

And I couldn't wait.


	31. Meet the Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus cookies if you can guess what theme I've got going for the villains!

A light tapping on the door was all it took to wake me up. I'd spent most of the night in a light doze, yet I felt more awake and refreshed than I had in a while. The door opened before I got out of bed, Yoku strolling in with a bundle of cloth in his arms.

"I apologize if I woke you," he said easily. He draped the cloth along the foot of the bed, his hands behind his back as he stepped away. "But if you're hungry, then you had better hurry. Some of my siblings are not exactly generous when it comes to food."

"Siblings?" I'd almost forgotten he'd mentioned them last night. I rolled part of the cloth between my fingers. It was a plain blue, coarser than the silk I'd gotten used to wearing at the bathhouse, but still not the cheapest fabric. He nodded.

"There are seven of us," he explained. "I'm the sixth-born."

I took the dress in my lap, feeling a slight pricking sensation sweep along my spine. Did it have something to do with that light from last night? He didn't offer anything else about his siblings, looking almost as though he was disgusted at mentioning them in the first place.

"I will wait in the hall," he said after a moment. "When you're ready, I will take you to the dining hall."

He didn't bow before turning away, striding out and shutting the door behind him. I waited a few seconds before turning to my nightstand, at the little package he'd given me. Untying the cloth uncovered an iridescent French curve, the ends tapering to points; it went from the tip of my middle finger to just below my wrist. Running my finger along the edge brought the sting of blood, along with a slight burning. I'm still not used to the fact I'm really part demon, but then, if I am, how come opal's never burned me before?

I shook my head, deciding to put the thought on hold for a while. I peeled out of my torn and wrinkled clothes and threw them to the floor; they were stained with Haku's saliva, with a light sprinkling of my blood along the collar of my shirt. It'd probably be pretty easy to clean and repair them, but I don't want any more reminders of all this than I already have. I shuddered at the newest memory, still clueless as to what was really happening to him. And what he said yesterday…

_"_ _I don't want to be fixed, Chihiro."_

_"_ _I just realized how_ delicious  _you look when you're terrified."_

_"_ _Maybe you just need to quit dreaming."_

_Quit dreaming…_ could this all just the real Haku I was seeing? Had this savage monster been inside him all along? No, no, that couldn't be. He wouldn't have been able to hide something like this so perfectly for so long, especially during the time he'd been weakened by Yubaba's spell. Unless she'd also cast one on him to keep it at bay, and him breaking his contract was all it took for it to start emerging…

I shook my head again, so hard it made my neck hurt. I was still standing next to the bed in my underwear, the dress Yoku had given me clasped so tightly in my hands it was amazing I hadn't ripped it yet. I couldn't waste time focusing on what might have caused this side of Haku to come out, I had to find a way to help him suppress it again, if not get rid of it entirely. If I couldn't…I don't even want to think about it.

I shrugged the dress over my head, smoothing the cloth over my hips. I undid my loosened ponytail and ran my fingers through my hair; I'd been in such a hurry when I packed that bag for Zeniba's that I'd forgotten my comb at the bathhouse. I put my hair back up as I walk to the door, but I pause before opening it, hearing voices in the hall.

"She belongs to the dragon, Hokori," Yoku sounded annoyed. The scoff that answered him was several notes deeper, arrogant.

"She's running from him, Yoku," Hokori answered. "She's scared of him. Why shouldn't I try my luck?"

They paused at a soft swishing, a light female voice laughing mockingly.

"Because your face would frighten her even more, Hokori."

Yoku groaned, and Hokori scoffed again, but neither of them bothered to answer her. They waited for the swishing to fade before going back to their argument.

"You're welcome to try, Hokori," Yoku said. "But do not be surprised if Father or the dragon steal your hide for it."

I chose this moment to open the door, hoping neither of them had picked up on the fact I was eavesdropping. The first thing I noticed was Hokori. He's over a head taller than Haku and twice as muscular, his sleeveless shirt left open to show it off. He's also incredibly handsome, his face just as chiseled as his body. His short hair is the same silver-tinged black as Yoku's, but his eyes are bright yellow, and right now they were openly leering at me. His full lips curled in a confident smirk.

"You wouldn't be the first woman to like what she sees," he crossed his arms, using the motion as an excuse to flex his chest. I bit the inside of my lip, silently admitting that I did like what I saw, a lot. I knew I didn't hide it well enough when his smirk widened, his eyes flashing in the lamplight. "You can take a closer look, if you want."

I turned away to hide my flaming face, muttering a feeble 'excuse me' as I walked quickly back in my room and shut the door. I leaned heavily against it, hating how my heart raced against my ribs. What was going on with me? First, I fell for Haku's son at his manor, and now I was lusting after some spirit I didn't even know!

Could it be because I was scared of Haku? Was I still in shock about learning what we both really were? Neither of those seemed to fit, but neither did anything else I came up with. After slapping my cheeks to knock some sense into me, I went to the bed and grabbed that weird knife from its box on the nightstand. It still burned slightly when I touched it, but I instantly felt safer. I threaded the cord coiled next to it through a small gap near one end, looping it around my neck before tying it off. I tucked the knife under my collar, thankful the thicker fabric hid the outline of it.

Yoku was alone when I got back to the hall, his face showing the slightest edge of distain as he stared down the hall. He barely glanced at me before heading that way; I hurried to catch up with him, a sense of dread falling over me. These spirits were Taizai's kids, and Taizai had it in for me, so why had one of them offered me a room for the night, and was now taking me to breakfast? Was Yoku just not like his dad, or was there something bigger at play here?

"You might want to prepare yourself," Yoku stopped at a rice paper door, the only one I'd seen in the house so far. I could hear several voices beyond it, along with a garbled sound like someone was scarfing down food. "Some of my siblings are…less than refined."

He slid the door open, the room going silent as he did so. Five spirits stared at me, three of them quickly turning away. Most of the dishes laid out on the long table were empty, the food piled before a girl who was as fat as she was short. Her hair fell to her shoulders, her eyes the same muddy brown as the broth leaking down her cheeks. The only other person at the table was glaring hatefully at me, his hair a wild mane, his eyes the same fiery red as his black-edged kimono.

"That's Gekido," Yoku whispered to me, then motioned subtly to his still-eating sister. "That's Okui."

I felt myself nod stiffly, unable to tear my gaze from Gekido. There was just something so familiar about him: his massive shoulders, his hulking posture, the way his lip curled in an angry snarl.

"What the fuck you staring at, bitch?"

I jumped at the question, again when Gekido slammed his hands on the table and shoved himself up. Yoku pulled me aside as his brother stormed past us, silk tearing as Gekido's back seemed to grow even wider. I gulped, turning back to the room. No one else seemed to have noticed the upset, so it must be a common occurrence.

Hokori was arguing with a tall, willowy girl staring into a silver hand mirror. Her long hair was braided and twisted into an elaborate style on top of her head, a jeweled comb resting like a tiara near the front. From what I could see, each layer of her junihitoe was elegantly decorated, her pale skin and light makeup completely flawless. Her laugh told me it was the same girl who'd insulted Hokori outside my room.

"Yokubo, my eldest sister," Yoku informed me. He took my elbow and steered me toward the table, to the seat that furthest from Okui. It was then I noticed a smell drifting through the room, one that made me lose my appetite completely. Along the wall behind Okui, another girl laid on a pallet on the floor. She wasn't quite as obese, but it was clear she didn't move much. Her plain yukata must have been white or pale yellow at some point, but now it was the same dark, dirty gray as her eyes. Her hair looked about as long she was tall, trailing along the floor next to her, so greasy there was actually a stain beneath it. "And that's Taida."

"What about your last sibling?" I'd only seen five so far, and all of them looked older than he did. I couldn't place the look than flashed across his face, but his jaw tightened slightly before he answered.

"Senbo, my younger sister, never leaves her room."

He left then, stepping through another door I assumed led to the kitchen. I kept my eyes on my hands as I waited for him to come back, not wanting to be caught staring at anyone again. I also needed to focus, to come up with a plan on how to help Haku.

 _I think I'm starting to get_ some  _idea what might be wrong with him…_

I traced the edge of the knife tucked under my dress, remembering bits and pieces of stories I'd heard as a kid, hoping there was some nugget of truth to them.

_If there isn't, I don't know what I'll do…_


End file.
